Pope visit to Jakarta: Signing three MoUs to strengthen human fraternity

KUALA LUMPUR: Pope Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday for a three-day visit to Indonesia, marking the beginning of the longest and most extensive tour ever undertaken by the head of the Catholic Church.

Concurrent to the Pope’s visit to Indonesia, three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed to promote collaboration in research, development, and initiatives based on three principles: mutual embrace, coexistence, and human fraternity.

The first MoU was signed on Monday between the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) and the International Islamic University of Indonesia (IIIU).

Additionally, HCHF is scheduled to sign two other MoUs: one on September 4 with Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia’s Islamic organizations, and another on September 5 with Nahdatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization in the world.

For context, HCHF was established following a joint initiative by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, in February 2019.

This declaration, which was eternalized as the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, emphasizes fostering a culture of mutual respect where people of various religions are facing the threat of extremism.

CNA reported that Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with the President of Indonesia on Wednesday before meeting representatives of the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia—Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism—at the Istiqlal Mosque.

Following his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis will continue his 12-day tour to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.