The pope’s meeting with the Muslim leader in Jakarta comes during the first leg of an intense 11-day, four-nation tour in Asia and Oceania.
Pope Francis kisses the right hand of the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque Nasaruddin Umar after an interreligious meeting with faith leaders at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Thursday.
Francis called the mosque a “great gift” and told people from other faiths that “we are all brothers and sisters, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”The joint declaration also called on Catholics and Muslims to unite to push global leaders into action on climate change.
“He actually wants some deep, meaningful engagement,” said Joel Hodge, a lecturer in theology at the Australian Catholic University. It’s the longest amount of time that Francis, 87, has ever spent away from the Vatican and marks his first overseas trip of the year. The duration and scale of the tour has surprised some given his recent health issues.
“Part of Pope Francis’ vision is to make the shift to really emphasize the global nature of the church, and have the church think more globally, not just in a European way,” said Hodge.
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