{"id":2331868,"date":"2024-08-27T15:37:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T19:37:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pope-francis-set-to-visit-prominent-mosque\/"},"modified":"2024-08-27T15:43:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T19:43:02","slug":"pope-francis-set-to-visit-prominent-mosque","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pope-francis-set-to-visit-prominent-mosque\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Francis Set to Visit Prominent Mosque"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpope-francis-set-to-visit-prominent-mosque%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2331868&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pope Francis is set\u200b to begin his Asia tour\u200b next week, with one of his first stops at Istiqlal Mosque in Indonesia. During this visit, he will hold an interfaith meeting \u2063with representatives from the country&#8217;s six officially recognized religions, as Indonesia grapples with\u200c challenges to \u2062its reputation for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-gop-to-continue-holding-hunter-biden-in-contempt-after-first-son-consents-to-deposition\/\" title=\"House GOP will persist in holding Hunter Biden in contempt despite his agreement to deposition\">religious\u200d tolerance<\/a>. The 87-year-old \u200cpontiff, who has recently \u2062relied more on a wheelchair, will begin his four-nation trip in Jakarta on September 3, where he will also meet\u200b President Joko Widodo.<\/p>\n<p>Istiqlal Mosque,\u2063 the largest\u200d in Southeast Asia, symbolizes \u2064Indonesia&#8217;s fight for independence \u200dand is located near \u200cthe Roman Catholic Cathedral, representing the coexistence of different faiths. An underpass known\u200d as the \u2062&#8221;Tunnel of Friendship&#8221; connects \u2063the two \u200cplaces\u200d of worship, embodying the\u2064 spirit of religious tolerance. Francis&#8217;s visit has been welcomed by\u200c the local Muslim community, with hopes\u200d that it will foster discussions\u200c on common ground among different religions.<\/p>\n<p>Despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-strikes-down-racial-gender-preferences-in-bidens-1-9-trillion-covid-relief-bill-that-discriminated-against-restaurant-owners\/\" title=\"Court Strikes Down Racial, Gender Preferences In Biden\u2019s .9 Trillion Covid Relief Bill That Discriminated Against Restaurant Owners\">constitutional guarantees<\/a>\u200d for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-churches-finally-got-help-from-scotus-and-it-was-a-huge-blow-to-gavin-newsom\/\" title=\"CA Churches Finally Got Help from SCOTUS and It Was a Huge Blow to Gavin Newsom\">religious freedom<\/a>, Indonesia has faced issues of intolerance, including\u2064 violence and \u2064discrimination against religious minorities. The pope&#8217;s visit, which had been\u2064 postponed due to the COVID-19 \u2063pandemic, \u200dis\u2062 seen by many as an opportunity \u200bfor positive change and a push for social justice in Indonesia.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>When Pope Francis begins his Asia tour next week, one of his early stops will be at Indonesia&rsquo;s iconic Istiqlal mosque.<\/p>\n<p>The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church will hold an interfaith meeting with representatives of the country&rsquo;s six officially recognized religions as the populous Southeast Asian nation faces growing challenges to its tolerant image.<\/p>\n<p>Francis, who has suffered a slew of health problems and has become increasingly reliant on a wheelchair, has a rigorous schedule during his four<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secy-blinken-discusses-omicron-variant-in-south-africa\/\" title=\"Secy. Blinken discusses Omicron variant in South Africa\">-nation visit<\/a>. He will start his trip in Jakarta on September 3rd, where he will meet Indonesian President Joko Widodo.<\/p>\n<p>In Istiqlal mosque, the Argentine Jesuit, known for promoting religious dialogue, will meet delegates of Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism. Indonesia&rsquo;s constitution recognizes the latter two as separate religions. About 87 percent of the country&rsquo;s 280 million people are Muslim. However, it has the third-largest Christian population in Asia after the Philippines and China. Only 2.9 percent of the total population is Catholic.<\/p>\n<p>The mosque of Istiqlal, which means independence in Arabic, is the largest in Southeast Asia, covering over 22 acres. Its name is a constant reminder of the country&rsquo;s fight against Dutch colonialists who ruled it for nearly 350 years. Across from the mosque lies the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fishers-men-fishers-persons-new-spanish-roman-catholic-bible-updates-translation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roman Catholic<\/a> neo-Gothic Our Lady of The Assumption Cathedral in Jakarta. The proximity of the two houses of worship is symbolic of how religions can peacefully coexist, according to official websites.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The mosque and cathedral are linked by an underpass known as the &ldquo;Tunnel of Friendship,&rdquo; about 91 feet in length and molded after a handshake gesture to symbolize religious tolerance. The pope is expected to walk through the tunnel.<\/p>\n<p>Istiqlal mosque&rsquo;s Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar told The Associated Press that Francis choosing Indonesia as the first stop of his Asian visit makes &ldquo;the Muslim community proud.&rdquo; He also said they will use the pope&rsquo;s visit &ldquo;to discuss the common ground between religious communities and emphasize the commonalities between religions, ethnicities and beliefs.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While Indonesia&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/veteran-tears-down-satanic-shrine-at-iowa-capitol-beheads-baphomet\/\" title=\"Veteran dismantles Satanic shrine, beheads Baphomet at Iowa Capitol\">constitution guarantees freedom<\/a> of religion, over the past several years, its perception as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by flaring intolerance, from the imprisonment of Jakarta&rsquo;s Christian governor for blasphemy, which resulted in a series of protests in 2016, to the canings of gay men in Aceh, a province that practices its version of Islamic Shariah law. There were also reports of violence against religious minorities, and some faith groups have been unable to secure building permits for places of worship.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Cantika Syamsinur, a 23-year-old college student who had just finished praying in Istiqlal mosque and was on her way to the cathedral, said she welcomed the pope&rsquo;s visit and the interfaith meeting. &ldquo;There are many religions in Indonesia and I hope we respect each other.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Francis will be the third pope to visit Indonesia. The trip was originally planned for 2020, but was called off because of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/new-study-shows-covid-vaccines-may-increased-excess-deaths-since-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Four years of waiting is quite long,&rdquo; said Susyana Suwadie who heads the cathedral&rsquo;s museum, adding she was overwhelmed by emotions as she awaited the pope&rsquo;s visit. &ldquo;This important historic moment is finally happening.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some are hopeful the pope&rsquo;s inter-religious meeting will propel changes on a grassroots level.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Ulun Ismoyo, a Catholic Priest who is also the spokesperson for the Pope Francis Visitation Committee in Indonesia, said that religious leaders in Indonesia play a very significant role because the masses listen to them. He said he hopes the pope&rsquo;s visit &ldquo;will lead to something good&rdquo; and advocate for a better world where humanity and social justice are prized.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p>   <script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Pope Francis embarks on his Asia tour next week, one of his initial destinations will be the renowned Istiqlal mosque in Indonesia. The 87-year-old leader of the Catholic Church is set to conduct an interfaith gathering with representatives from the six religions officially acknowledged in the country, as Indonesia grapples with increasing challenges to its reputation for tolerance. Despite facing various health issues and relying more on a wheelchair, Francis has a demanding itinerary during his visit to four countries. He will kick off his journey in Jakarta on September 3rd by meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.<\/p>\n<p>At Istiqlal mosque, which translates to &#8220;independence&#8221; in Arabic and is Southeast Asia&#8217;s largest mosque spanning over 22 acres, Francis will engage with delegates from Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism\u2014two of which are recognized as distinct religions under Indonesia&#8217;s constitution. Approximately 87% of Indonesia&#8217;s population of 280 million is Muslim; however, it also has the third-largest Christian demographic in Asia after the Philippines and China. Only about 2.9% identify as Catholic.<\/p>\n<p>The Istiqlal mosque stands across from Our Lady of The Assumption Cathedral\u2014a neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church\u2014symbolizing peaceful coexistence between different faiths according to official sources. An underpass known as the &#8220;Tunnel of Friendship,&#8221; designed to resemble a handshake gesture representing religious tolerance and measuring around 91 feet long connects both places of worship; Pope Francis is expected to walk through it.<\/p>\n<p>Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar expressed that having Pope Francis choose Indonesia as his first stop makes \u201cthe Muslim community proud.\u201d He noted that they plan to use this visit \u201cto discuss common ground among religious communities\u201d while highlighting shared values across different religions and ethnicities.<\/p>\n<p>Although Indonesia\u2019s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, recent years have seen its image as a moderate Muslim nation challenged by rising intolerance\u2014evidenced by events such as protests following the imprisonment for blasphemy of Jakarta\u2019s Christian governor in 2016 or instances like canings imposed on gay men under local Sharia law practices in Aceh province. Reports have also surfaced regarding violence against religious minorities and difficulties some faith groups face obtaining permits for places of worship.<\/p>\n<p>Cantika Syamsinur\u2014a college student who had just prayed at Istiqlal mosque before heading towards the cathedral\u2014welcomed both the pope\u2019s visit and interfaith dialogue: \u201cThere are many religions in Indonesia; I hope we respect each other.\u201d This marks Pope Francis&#8217; third visit to Indonesia; he was originally scheduled for this trip back in 2020 but had to cancel due to COVID-19 concerns. Susyana Suwadie\u2014the head curator at the cathedral museum\u2014expressed her emotional anticipation: \u201cFour years waiting feels quite long&#8230; This significant historic moment is finally happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some individuals are optimistic that this inter-religious meeting could inspire grassroots changes within society. Thomas Ulun Ismoyo\u2014a Catholic priest serving as spokesperson for Pope Francis\u2019 visitation committee\u2014stated that religious leaders hold considerable influence since their followers listen closely; he hopes this visit will foster positive outcomes advocating for humanity and social justice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2331869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/092ebd9bace34a8fb4da42e85fdc595b-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[39437,39438,34207,39439],"class_list":["post-2331868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-interfaith-dialogue","tag-mosque-visit","tag-pope-francis","tag-religious-unity"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/092ebd9bace34a8fb4da42e85fdc595b-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2331868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2331869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2331868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2331868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2331868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}