Pope Francis kisses the right hand of the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque Nasaruddin Umar after an interreligious meeting with religious leaders at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Sept 5, 2024. - AP
JAKARTA: Pope Francis and a top Indonesian imam warned Thursday (Sept 5) against using religion to stoke conflict, before the 87-year-old pontiff holds mass for tens of thousands at a football stadium in Jakarta.
The pope and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar signed a declaration at Istiqlal Mosque in one of the final major set pieces of Francis's three-day visit to the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, which kicked off a gruelling tour around the Asia-Pacific.
