She fought.-Pope Francis called on Wednesday for strengthening interfaith ties as a crucial measure to combat extremism and intolerance in Indonesia, during his inaugural address at the start of his Asia-Pacific tour, as he prepared to attend an event where he will complete a work of art from the Poliedro de Scholas Ocurrentes, a collective work in which people from all over the planet participated.
The artwork that Francis will complete with his own contribution during the meeting was presented three days ago at the “Grha Pemuda” Youth House in Jakarta. José María del Corral, president of the International Movement, called for “respecting identities and valuing them is what will lead to a world without wars and without hatred.”
Francis had earlier held a key meeting during his visit to Indonesia, as he met with President Joko Widodo at the presidential palace in Jakarta: “Interreligious dialogue is indispensable to face common challenges, including the fight against extremism and intolerance,” declared the supreme pontiff after the meeting.
He also regretted that “in various regions we see the emergence of violent conflicts, which are often the result of a lack of mutual respect, of an intolerant desire to make one’s own interests, one’s own position or one’s own partial vision of history prevail at all costs, even if this means endless suffering for entire communities and gives rise to real bloody wars.”
He also praised “mutual respect for the specific cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious characteristics of all human groups that make up Indonesia,” as “it is the indispensable common thread that keeps the Indonesian people united and proud.”
The Pontiff also stated that “harmony in respect for differences is achieved when each individual opinion takes into account the needs that are common and when each ethnic group and religious confession acts in a spirit of fraternity, pursuing the noble goal of serving the good of all.”
He added that “this wise and delicate balance between the multiplicity of cultures, the different ideological visions and the reasons that underpin unity must be continually defended against any imbalance.”
He also said that the Catholic Church “wants to increase interreligious dialogue. In this way, prejudices can be eliminated and a climate of respect and mutual trust can be fostered, factors that are essential to facing common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance.”
In this regard, the Pope will attend an interfaith meeting on Thursday at the Istiqlal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, connected to the cathedral by the “tunnel of friendship” and will sign a joint declaration on tolerance with the Grand Imam, Nasaruddin Umar.
Francis said there are cases “in which faith in God is continually placed in the foreground, but often, unfortunately, to be manipulated and not to build peace, communion, dialogue, respect, collaboration and fraternity, but to foster divisions and increase hatred.”
He concluded his speech by sending a message to the country’s political class, assuring that “harmony is, in fact, achieved when each person commits himself, not only according to his own interests and his own vision, but with a view to the good of all, to build bridges, to promote agreements and create synergies, to join forces and defeat all forms of moral, economic and social misery, and to promote peace.”
Catholics make up just 3.1 percent of Indonesia’s 270 million people, but with 8 million followers they are the third-largest Catholic population in Asia, after the Philippines and China, while Muslims make up 89.4 percent.
The three-day visit to Indonesia is the first leg of a 12-day trip that will also take Francis to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. The tour represents one of the biggest challenges of his pontificate because of his advanced age and health problems.
Pope Francis denounced the existence of “laws of death” that limit births and that there are families who prefer “to have a cat or a dog rather than a child.”
Speaking in his speech about how “today a considerable part of humanity is marginalized, without the means for a dignified existence and without the defenses to face serious and growing social imbalances, which trigger acute conflicts,” Francis added improvised that this cannot be solved with “a law of death that limits births.”
Francis is very concerned about the low birth rate in some places, such as in Europe, but praised the fact that “in Indonesia, on the other hand, there are families with four or five children, and this is good.” “Let us continue like this,” the Pope added.
And he stressed that “there are these families who prefer to have a cat or a dog rather than a child,” sparking laughter among Indonesian President Joko Widodo, sitting next to him in the presidential palace, and those present at the meeting.Infobae.
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2024-09-06 12:15:12
Here is a comprehensive and SEO-optimized article on the topic of Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia and his message of interfaith dialogue and combating extremism:
Pope Francis Unites with Indonesian Leaders to Combat Extremism and Intolerance
In a powerful message of unity and cooperation, Pope Francis called on Indonesian leaders to strengthen interfaith ties as a crucial measure to combat extremism and intolerance. The Pontiff’s inaugural address kicked off his Asia-Pacific tour, which aims to promote peace, understanding, and mutual respect among different faiths and cultures.
The Importance of Interfaith Dialogue
Speaking at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Pope Francis emphasized the need for interreligious dialogue in facing common challenges, including the fight against extremism and intolerance. He lamented that “in various regions, we see the emergence of violent conflicts, which are often the result of a lack of mutual respect, of an intolerant desire to make one’s own interests, one’s own position or one’s own partial vision of history prevail at all costs, even if this means endless suffering for entire communities and gives rise to real bloody wars.”
Respecting Diversity and Promoting Unity
The Pope praised Indonesia’s diversity, stating that “mutual respect for the specific cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious characteristics of all human groups that make up Indonesia” is the “indispensable common thread that keeps the Indonesian people united and proud.” He emphasized that harmony is achieved when each individual opinion takes into account the needs that are common, and each ethnic group and religious confession acts in a spirit of fraternity, pursuing the noble goal of serving the good of all.
Countering Extremism and Intolerance
Pope Francis reiterated that the Catholic Church wants to increase interreligious dialogue, eliminate prejudices, and foster a climate of respect and mutual trust. This, he believes, is essential to facing common challenges, including countering extremism and intolerance. The Pope will attend an interfaith meeting on Thursday at the Istiqlal mosque, where he will sign a joint declaration on tolerance with the Grand Imam, Nasaruddin Umar.
A Message of Hope and Unity
In his address, Pope Francis sent a message to the country’s political class, urging them to commit to building bridges, promoting agreements, and creating synergies to defeat all forms of moral, economic, and social misery. He emphasized
