What's happened
During his historic visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis emphasized the need for interfaith dialogue to combat rising religious intolerance. Speaking to political leaders, he urged them to respect human rights and promote unity in diversity, addressing concerns over extremism in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the New York Times, Pope Francis praised Indonesia's diversity while stressing the need for vigilance against intolerance, stating, 'Unity must be continuously defended.' The Independent highlighted his call for political leaders to guard against extremism, emphasizing that 'the Catholic Church would increase its efforts toward inter-religious dialogue.' Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reported on the pope's address at the State Palace, where he urged officials to respect human rights, quoting him on the dangers of imposing uniformity in society. These perspectives collectively illustrate the pope's mission to promote peace and understanding in a complex religious landscape.
How we got here
Pope Francis's visit to Indonesia marks a significant moment in his 11-day tour of Asia, aimed at fostering interreligious harmony. Indonesia, with its diverse population, has faced challenges related to rising majoritarianism and discrimination against religious minorities in recent years.
More on these topics
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Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of more than seventeen thousand islands, including Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. Indonesia i
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Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first pope from outside Europe since the Syrian Gregory