Pope Francis has cautioned against the use of religion to incite conflict during the final day of his visit to Indonesia, the first stop on his tour of the Asia-Pacific region.
At Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the Pope signed a declaration promoting religious harmony and environmental protection alongside the mosque’s grand imam. He also met with leaders from six different religious communities.
The 87-year-old pontiff began his 11-day tour on Tuesday, marking the longest foreign trip of his papacy.
Later in the day, he will celebrate mass at Indonesia’s main football stadium, where a crowd of 80,000 is expected, before continuing his journey to Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Singapore.
Speaking at the Istiqlal Mosque—the largest in Southeast Asia—the Pope emphasized the need for people of all faiths to recognize their shared humanity, saying, “We are all brothers, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”
He warned of a “serious crisis” facing humanity due to war, conflict, and environmental degradation.
The Pope also visited a 28-meter (91-foot) tunnel that connects the Istiqlal Mosque to a Catholic cathedral across the street.
Standing with Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar at the entrance of what he called the “tunnel of friendship,” the Pope highlighted it as a symbol of how people of different faiths can share common ground.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has a population of 275 million, of which only 3% are Catholics. The country officially recognizes six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
Pope Francis faces a demanding schedule ahead, with numerous public appearances and meetings with Church leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, one of the few areas where the Catholic Church continues to grow in baptized members and religious vocations.
In Indonesia, he has been seen moving around and waving to adoring crowds from his wheelchair, underscoring concerns about his spate of health issues.
The Pope had earlier on Wednesday, the second day of his three-day visit, spoke alongside the country’s outgoing president, Joko Widodo in Jakarta.
There, he said Indonesia should live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity”.
He also praised Indonesians for having large families with up to five children.
“Keep it up, you’re an example for everyone, for all the countries that maybe, and this might sound funny, (where) these families prefer to have a cat or a little dog instead of a child,” he said.
His remarks echoed sentiments he expressed two years ago when the Pope suggested that choosing pets over children diminishes the “humanity” of married couples.