ISTANBUL

Urging the preservation of “bonds of friendship” at an interfaith dialogue in Indonesia, Pope Francis on Thursday called for a “joint response” to crises, including wars and conflicts. 

He made the proposal during his visit to Southeast Asia’s largest Muslim prayer house in Jakarta, where he was received by Nasaruddin Umar, grand imam of the Istiqlal Mosque.

“We can respond together to the crises, wars, conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering, unfortunately caused at times by the manipulation of religion,” said the pontiff.

His remarks come as Israel continues its war on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians since last October, while the Russia-Ukraine war has passed the 2 1/2-year mark.

The 87-year-old pontiff arrived in Jakarta, the capital of the world’s largest majority-Muslim nation, on Tuesday as part of his four-nation, 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific – his longest such visit since his papacy began in 2013.

He will fly to Papua New Guinea on Friday, and then to East Timor and Singapore.

Paying tribute to the Indonesian people’s work to promote “dialogue, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence between religions and different spiritual sensibilities,” the pope said the Istiqlal Mosque’s “history is a testament to these efforts,” mentioning how a local Christian architect, Friedrich Silaban, won the design competition for building it.

“Religious experiences may be reference points for a fraternal and peaceful society,” he said, according to his office.   

Istiqlal Mosque and Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption 'allow dialogue, genuine experience of fraternity'

The wheelchair-bound pope called the “Tunnel of Friendship” connecting the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption “an eloquent sign.”

These two places of worship allow “encounter, dialogue ... a genuine experience of fraternity,” he said.

Urging the preservation of “bonds of friendship,” the pope said: “We can learn from each other’s religious traditions and come together to meet our human and spiritual needs.”

“We can also pursue the same goals together,” he added, referring to defending human dignity, helping the poor, promoting peace, and protecting the environment.

“By effectively promoting the values common to all religious traditions, we can work to defeat the culture of violence and indifference ... and promote reconciliation and peace,” the pope said as the two sides adopted a Joint Declaration of Istiqlal.​​​​​​​