It is easy to see the Pope´s visit to Indonesia as an attempt by the Catholic Church to promote itself in a country where only 3% of the population are Catholic.
But behind the public side of the visit was a desire to engage with the majority-Muslim authorities and, according to the National Catholic Reporter, extol the “long history of Catholics and Muslims living harmoniously alongside one another and … see their differences as a strength.” This included a visit to the largest mosque in south-east Asia to sign a joint declaration with its grand Imam, calling on religious leaders to work together to defend the values that underpin much of our common world view – of human dignity, of caring for our planet, of social solidarity.
As we remember Santa María de la Victoria this weekend, and the reconquest of Malaga in 1487, let us remember all that we have in common with our Muslim brothers and sisters, and give thanks to God for our greater knowledge and understanding of other faiths and our shared values.
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