Pope Francis on Thursday signed a
joint declaration that called for religious harmony for the
common good at Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque with the Grand Imam
Nasaruddin Umar and other religious leaders in a key ceremony of
the pontiff's three-day visit to the world's most populous
Muslim-majority nation.
The first point of the statement said that the "the global
phenomenon of dehumanisation is marked especially by widespread
violence and conflict that often cause an alarming number of
victims.
"It is particularly worrying that religion is often
instrumentalised in this regard, causing suffering to many,
especially women, children and the elderly," it said.
"The role of religion, however, should include promoting and
safeguarding the dignity of every human life", the declaration
noted.
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