Complete speech by Pope Francis at the interreligious meeting held in Indonesia

We offer the official version in Spanish provided by the Vatican of Pope Francis’ speech addressed to the participants in the interreligious meeting that took place at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta (Indonesia), in the course of his apostolic trip to Asia and Oceania.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.

I feel happy to be here, together with all of you, in the largest mosque in Asia. I greet the Great Imam and thank him for the words he addressed to me, remembering that this place of worship and prayer is also “a great house for humanity”, in which each one can enter to pause with himself, give space to that longing for the infinite that you carry in your heart, to seek the encounter with the divine and experience the joy of friendship with others.

I like to remember that this mosque was designed by the architect Friedrich Silaban, who was a Christian and won the competition. This proves that in the history of this nation and the culture that is breathed here, the mosque, as well as other places of worship, are spaces of dialogue, of reciprocal respect, of harmonious coexistence between religions and different spiritual sensibilities. This is a great gift, which you are called to cultivate every day, so that the religious experience is a point of reference for a fraternal and peaceful society and never a reason for misunderstanding and shock.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning the construction of an underground tunnel ―the tunnel of friendship―, which connects the Istiqlal Mosque with the Cathedral of Santa María de la Asunción. This is an eloquent sign, which allows these two great places of worship to be not only “in front of each other”, but also “communicated” with each other. Indeed, this passage allows for an encounter, a dialogue, a real possibility of “discovering and transmitting the mystique of living together, of mixing, of finding ourselves (…), of participating in that somewhat chaotic tide that can become a true experience of fraternity, in a caravan of solidarity, in a holy pilgrimage” (Ap. Exhort. the joy of the Gospel87). I encourage you to continue on this path: that all of us, together, cultivating our own spirituality and practicing our own religion, can walk in search of God and contribute to building open societies, founded on reciprocal respect and mutual love. , capable of isolating rigidities, fundamentalisms and extremisms, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.

In this perspective, symbolized by the underground tunnel, I would like to leave you two slogans, to promote the path of unity and harmony that you have already begun.

The first is always see in depthbecause only in this way can we find what unites us, beyond the differences. In fact, while on the surface there are the areas of the mosque and the cathedral, well delimited and frequented by their respective parishioners, underground, along the tunnel, those same different people meet and can access the religious world. of the others. This image reminds us of something important: that the visible aspects of religions – the rites, practices, etc. – are a traditional heritage that must be protected and respected; But what is “underneath”, what runs underground, like the “tunnel of friendship”, we could say the common root of all religious sensibilities is one: the search for an encounter with the divine, the thirst for infinity that The Almighty has placed in our hearts the search for a greater joy and a life stronger than death, which animates the journey of our lives and drives us to leave ourselves to go to meet God. Let us remember this: by looking deeply, perceiving what flows in the most intimate part of our lives, the desire for plenitude that lives in the depths of our hearts, we discover that we are all brothers, all pilgrims, all on the path to God, beyond. of what differentiates us.

The second invitation is take care of relationships. The tunnel was built from one part to the other to create a connection between two different and distant places. This is what the underground passage does: it connects, it creates a link. Sometimes we think that the encounter between religions is a question that has to do only with seeking, at all costs, common points between different doctrines and religious confessions. In reality, it may happen that an approach of this type ends up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different. What really brings us closer is creating a connection between our differences, taking care to cultivate bonds of friendship, attention, and reciprocity. They are relationships in which each one opens up to the other, in which we commit to seeking the truth together, learning from the other’s religious tradition; helping us with human and spiritual needs. They are links that allow us to work together, walk united in the achievement of some objective, in the defense of the dignity of man, in the fight against poverty, in the promotion of peace. Unity is born from personal bonds of friendship, mutual respect, and mutual defense of other people’s spaces and ideas. I hope they can always take care of it.

Dear brothers and sisters, “promoting religious harmony for the good of humanity” is the inspiration that we are invited to follow and that also gives the title to the Joint Declaration prepared for this occasion. In it we assume with responsibility the great, and sometimes dramatic, crises that threaten the future of humanity, particularly wars and conflicts, unfortunately also fueled by religious instrumentalizations; but also the environmental crisis, which has become an obstacle to the growth and coexistence of people. And in this scenario, it is important that the values ​​common to all religious traditions are promoted and reinforced, helping society to “eradicate the culture of violence and indifference” (Istiqlal joint statement) and to promote reconciliation and peace.

I thank you for this common path that you are taking forward. Indonesia is a great country, a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and religious traditions; a very rich diversity that is also reflected in the variety of the ecosystem and the surrounding environment. And if it is true that they possess the largest gold mine in the world, know that the most valuable treasure is the will that differences are not a reason for conflict, but rather that they are found harmoniously in harmony and mutual respect. Harmony, is what you do. Don’t lose this gift. Never lose this great wealth, in fact, cultivate it and transmit it, especially to young people. Let no one give in to the attraction of fundamentalism and violence; that, instead, everyone is fascinated with the dream of a free, fraternal and peaceful society and humanity.

Thank you, thank you for your gentle smile, which always shines on your faces, and which is a sign of your beauty and inner openness. May God grant you this gift. With his help and his blessing go forward, Bhinneka Tunggal Ikaunited in diversity. Thank you.

_______________________________

Greeting from the Holy Father in the Friendship Tunnel

Dear brothers and sisters:

I congratulate you all on this “Tunnel of Friendship”, which aims to be a place of dialogue and meeting.

If we think of a tunnel, we easily imagine a dark path that can be scary, especially if we are alone. Here, however, it is different, because everything is illuminated. However, the light that illuminates it is you, with your friendship, with the harmony you cultivate, with your mutual support and with your walk together that leads you, at the end of the path, towards full light.

We believers, who belong to different religious traditions, have a role to play: to help everyone go through the tunnel with their gaze directed toward the light. Thus, at the end of the journey, in those who have walked alongside us we can recognize a brother, a sister, with whom to share life and support each other.

To the numerous signs of threat, to the dark times, we contrast the sign of fraternity that, welcoming the other and respecting their identity, exhorts them to a common path, made among friends, and that leads towards the light.

Thanks to all those who work convinced that we can live in harmony and peace, aware of the need for a more fraternal world. I would like our communities to be increasingly open to interreligious dialogue and be a symbol of the peaceful coexistence that characterizes Indonesia.

I raise my prayer to God, Creator of all, to bless all those who will pass through this Tunnel in a spirit of friendship, harmony and fraternity. Thank you!