Pope Francis on Thursday called for
the promotion of "religious harmony to benefit humanity" as the
"inspiration we are called to follow and which also gives the
title to the joint declaration prepared for this occasion" at an
inter-faith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta,
Indonesia, during his visit to the world's most populous
Muslim-majority nation.
In the declaration, said the pontiff addressing leaders of
Indonesia's six recognised religions - Islam, Buddhism,
Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism and Confucianism - "we
assume with responsibility the grave and at times dramatic
crises threatening the future of humanity, in particular wars
and conflicts, unfortunately also stoked by religious
instrumentalizations, as well as the environmental crisis, which
has become an obstacle to the growth and cohabitation of
populations.
"And faced with this scenario, it is important for values that
are common to all religious traditions to be promoted and
strengthened, helping society to 'defeat the culture of violence
and of indifference' and to promote reconciliation and peace",
said the pope.
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