Jakarta to Open Friendship Tunnel Linking Church and Mosque Before Pope's Visit
The 28.3-meter-long fraternity tunnel, known as Terowongan Silahturahmi, links the Istiqlal Mosque – Southeast Asia's largest mosque – and the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral Church.
The cultural heritage buildings, standing opposite each other and separated by a highway, will be key destinations during the pope's visit in September.
Her Pramtama, chairman of the Istiqlal Mosque Management Board, stated that a team is currently creating artwork inside the tunnel. "The artwork on the walls depict symbols of friendship and tolerance between religious communities," he said, noting that the designs were agreed upon with the Cathedral Church, UCA News reported on Friday.
Visitors will encounter quotes from Islam and Catholicism about the importance of fraternity at the tunnel's entrances. President Joko Widodo is set to inaugurate the tunnel in August, though the exact date has not been confirmed.
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Father Anthonius Gregorius Lalu, deputy coordinator for media relations of the papal visit committee, mentioned that the pope will visit the Cathedral Church on September 4 to meet with seminarians and catechists. The following day, he will visit the Istiqlal Mosque for an interfaith meeting, although it is not yet confirmed if he will enter the tunnel.
The tunnel connects to the first-floor parking at the Istiqlal Mosque and exits into the yard of the Cathedral. Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono explained that the tunnel, in addition to symbolizing diversity, is intended to facilitate shared use of the parking lot by congregants of both houses of worship. "On Fridays, it can be used by the congregation of the Istiqlal Mosque, and on Sundays by the congregation of the Cathedral Church," he said.
The Istiqlal Mosque, built by Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, in 1961, can accommodate 200,000 worshipers. The Cathedral Church, featuring neo-gothic architecture, was built in 1901 and has undergone several renovations.
Father Agustinus Heri Wibowo, executive secretary of the commission for ecumenical and interreligious affairs at the Indonesia Bishops’ Conference, remarked that from a Catholic perspective, the tunnel conveys the need “to go outside of oneself to meet others in order to obtain a fuller self-existence.”
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Achmad Nurcholish, a Muslim and program director of the Indonesia Conference on Religion and Peace, expressed hope that the meeting space will encourage mutual understanding and break down prejudices. “Hopefully, this will further strengthen tolerance and harmony between religious communities,” he said.
Pope Francis will visit Indonesia from September 2-6, the first destination of his tour of four Asian countries.
Approximately 85 percent of Indonesia's estimated 270 million people follow Islam, making it the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. The country also has about 24 million Christians, including seven million Catholics.
Source: Agencies
