Pope Francis Urges Indonesian Leaders to Combat Religious Extremism in Southeast Asia Visit
During his Southeast Asia tour, Pope Francis calls on Indonesia’s leaders to guard against religious extremism and promote interfaith dialogue to foster peace and mutual respect.
Bollywood Fever: Pope Francis, in his first speech on a 12-day journey across Southeast Asia, appealed to Indonesia’s political leaders on Wednesday to combat religious extremism.
Addressing a diverse audience of politicians and religious figures at Jakarta’s Merdeka Presidential Palace, the Pope expressed concern about how extremism distorts religious beliefs through “deception and violence.”
During the address, the pontiff emphasized the Catholic Church’s commitment to increasing interfaith dialogue in an effort to reduce extremism and foster peace. “In this way, prejudices can be eliminated, and a climate of mutual respect and trust can grow,” said the 87-year-old Pope, stressing the importance of tackling intolerance, which often manipulates religion to justify violence.
Indonesia, home to over 280 million people, is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, with about 87% of its population practicing Islam.
Though freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, the country has faced several violent extremist incidents in recent years, including suicide bombings in 2021 and 2022 carried out by individuals linked to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an Islamic State-inspired group.
In his welcome speech, Indonesian President Joko Widodo thanked the Pope for his advocacy for peace, especially in light of the Israel-Gaza conflict. “Indonesia appreciates the Vatican’s attitude, which continues to voice and call for peace in Palestine, and supports a two-state solution,” said Widodo.
Francis, who struggles with knee and back pain, arrived at the palace in a wheelchair to warm greetings from a crowd waving both Vatican and Indonesian flags. Among the attendees was 10-year-old Dorothea Dawai, who hoped for a blessing from the Pope as part of the ceremonial welcome.
The Pope and Widodo held a private meeting following the official welcome, with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi later confirming that while specific conflicts were not discussed, the leaders addressed the importance of peace in ongoing global tensions. Francis later warned in his public remarks about how religious faith can be exploited to fuel hatred rather than peace.
“There are times when faith in God is sadly manipulated to foment divisions and increase hatred instead of furthering peace, communion, dialogue, respect, cooperation, and fraternity,” the Pope said, underscoring the critical need to combat extremism through collaboration between religious and political leaders.
This speech marked the beginning of the Pope’s extensive tour, which includes visits to Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. His Southeast Asia journey will cover nearly 33,000 kilometers (21,000 miles), and he is set to return to Rome on September 13.
Later in the day, Francis is scheduled to meet with Indonesia’s Catholic bishops at Jakarta’s cathedral. On Thursday, he will participate in an interfaith gathering at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia.
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