In a gesture to demonstrate connection between Christianity and Islam, Catholic Pope Francis is set to visit the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, during his trip to Indonesia next week in his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.
The Mosque is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the ninth largest mosque in the world in terms of worshipper capacity.
It was built to commemorate Indonesian independence and was opened to the public on 22 February 1978.
The Istiqlal Mosque has an unusual feature – a tunnel connecting it to the St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Cathedral in the city of Jakarta, which was constructed by the Indonesian authorities.
The tunnel, known as the “Terowongan Silaturahmi” (Tunnel of Friendship), was built in April 2020, as a symbol of religious harmony, a theme the global head of the Catholic church has also emphasized on his travels during his 11-year reign.
The 87-year-old Pope will arrive on Tuesday in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, with only about 3 per cent of Catholics and nearly 90 per cent Muslims, of 280 million population.
This is the first leg of the longest trip of papacy of the pope who will also be visiting countries like Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
“It’s extraordinary that the Catholics’ number one figure is coming. Whatever your religion is, let’s respect our guest,” said Nasaruddin Umar, the grand imam of the Istiqlal.
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The pope is scheduled to meet outgoing President Joko Widodo and hold a mass service at a Jakarta stadium, which is expected to be attended by more than 80,000 people, said Rev. Thomas Ulun Ismoyo, an Indonesian church official.
“The pope’s visit makes Indonesia the barometer of peace and a pillar of tolerance,” Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas told Reuters.
