JAKARTA: Pope Francis is set to visit Indonesia next week, including a stop at a mosque with a unique feature — a tunnel connecting it to the city’s Catholic cathedral. This visit, part of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, underscores his emphasis on interfaith harmony.
The 28.3-meter “Tunnel of Friendship,” linking the Istiqlal mosque to the Our Lady of the Assumption cathedral, was constructed by the government in 2020 as a symbol of religious unity. The tunnel, which features windows and art on its walls, is not yet open to the public but will be part of the pope’s itinerary.
At 87 years old, Pope Francis will embark on his longest papal trip, which will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. Concerns about his health have been noted, but the visit is seen as a significant gesture towards fostering religious harmony in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
During his visit, the pope will participate in an interfaith meeting at Istiqlal, Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, and is expected to meet with outgoing President Joko Widodo. He will also hold a mass service at a Jakarta stadium, anticipated to attract over 80,000 attendees.
The visit has stirred excitement among Indonesian Catholics, who have not hosted a papal visit in over 30 years. “If I could meet him, I could only bow before him,” said Maria Regina Widyastuti Sasongko, a 77-year-old Catholic who sells papal merchandise.
Indonesia’s history with religious harmony is complex. Although Catholicism arrived in the 16th century with Portuguese missionaries, it was banned during Dutch colonial rule. Today, Indonesia is officially secular, but minority religions sometimes face discrimination. The US religious freedom watchdog has reported poor conditions for religious freedom in the country.
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