Indonesian Muslims see Pope Francis as a role model for interfaith dialogue

From Jakarta, moderate Islamic movements and political leaders express their sadness for the death of the pontiff, a man of great stature for the faithful of other religions as well. Signing the document on Fraternity with Grand Imam of al-Azhar was a high point. For the bishops of Indonesia, which he visited last September, the pope’s values of love, solidarity, and partiality for the marginalised are “timeless”.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, the death of Pope Francis has caused great sorrow and admiration for a man who was a role model in interfaith dialogue and in promoting Catholic values around the world.

The pontiff passed away on Monday, a few months after his visit to Indonesia last September when he walked through the "tunnel of friendship” that connects the cathedral and the great mosque in the capital Jakarta.

Kiai Hajj Ahmad Fahrur Rozi, head of the Religious Affairs division of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), the country's most important moderate Muslim organisation, stressed the pontiff's stature “for followers of other religions”.

Along with offering his condolences, he said that the late pontiff will always be remembered as “a messenger of peace, unity, and interreligious tolerance”:

PBNU President Kiai Hajj Yahya Staquf, on behalf of all the members of the group (Nahdliyin), noted that the pope's life was a sign of how Indonesian Catholics promote harmony in society.

The Muslim leader said that he appreciated the policies the pontiff implemented during his papacy, especially signing the “Document on Human Fraternity” with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb. This prophetic gesture “is a symbol of the struggle for humanity amidst challenging global dynamics,” he added.

Minister for Religious Affairs and former Grand Imam of the Istiqlal mosque Nasaruddin Umar and Muhammadiyah Central Board Chairman Haedar Nashir are among the religious and political leaders who have publicly expressed their sorrow following Pope Francis’s passing.

“Pope Francis is known as an inclusive figure who promoted the humanitarian spirit and peace for all,” said Haedar, who heads the second most important Muslim organisation in Indonesia. With his death, “we have lost a key figure and a leading Catholic leader whose life was devoted to a religious, compassionate, and peaceful humanity.”

“May the inspiration and legacy of Pope Francis for humanity and world peace become one of the driving forces for building a truly peaceful and authentic global order – especially at a time when the world stage is still marked by reckless and peace-averse political figures,” Haedar added.

In addition to Indonesian Catholic Church leaders, President Prabowo Subianto offered his condolences, calling the pontiff a "global model of peace, humanity and fraternity".

The president still fondly remembers Pope Francis's visit to Jakarta, which he describes as a memorable event that “left a lasting impression not only on Catholics but on all Indonesians.”

Card Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, who will take part in the upcoming conclave to pick a successor to the Argentinian pope, remembers the simple choices the pontiff made in his lifetime.

His leadership “had reversed the hierarchy”, like during the Synod meetings when he was among the first to arrive, personally greeting each participant and "showing a humility that was much more than symbolic."

The pope also showed "personal closeness" because "instead of retreating to a private room during breaks," he sat with the bishops “talking, joking and sharing stories, making himself not just a leader, but a fellow pilgrim."

Francis’s simple style went from his shoes to his wristwatch, together with the decision to celebrate his birthday with the poor in St Peter's Square, embodying the spirit of the Gospel. Indeed, “sensitivity to suffering" led him to shy away from major events, preferring to "visit refugees".

Finally, Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunyamin of Bandung, who chairs the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI), emphasises how the values transmitted by Pope Francis during his life – love, solidarity, predilection for the marginalised – are “timeless”.

During his visit in Indonesia, he chose not to travel in armoured cars, but to use a simple white hatchback, always stopping if he saw “the elderly, the sick, pregnant women or small children.”

• Pope Francis' Death