In Muslim-majority Indonesia, Pope Francis warns against religious extremism

Pope Francis and Indonesian President Joko Widodo attend a meeting with Indonesian authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, during his apostolic visit to Asia, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/Pool

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Pope Francis on Wednesday urged political leaders in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, to guard against religious extremism, which he said distorted people's religious beliefs through "deception and violence".

In his first speech during an ambitious 12-day journey across Southeast Asia, where Christians are broadly a small minority of the regional population, the pontiff said the Catholic Church would increase its efforts toward inter-religious dialogue in hopes of helping tamp down extremism.