Reserved for pedestrians, this underground passage will connect the Catholic cathedral “Our Lady of the Assumption” to the great mosque of the Indonesian capital. A strong symbol for peace between religions.
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The scope is highly symbolic in the world’s most populous Muslim country, home to 275 million people, including 20 million Christians. Indonesian President Joko Widodo says the “silaturahmi” (friendship tunnel) is intended to encourage dialogue between the two religious communities.
The work measures about thirty meters, it connects the two buildings that face each other on each side of a usually congested road. It is an event: one of the two entrances that leads to the Catholic cathedral is located inside the prayer space of the Istiqlal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia. The faithful of the two different faiths will be able to reflect on the message of peace delivered during this short underground crossing by stopping in front of some artistic works, including a bas-relief representing a handshake between two men of different religions.
The tunnel will be ready for Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia in early September, and it will be officially inaugurated by the country’s authorities to symbolize the links between Christians and Muslims. And it is a challenge in a country where moderate Islam is in decline. In Indonesia, society is indeed becoming radicalized. The Dutch NGO “Open Doors”, which supports and defends persecuted Christians around the world, ranked Indonesia 42nd in its list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
By building this friendship tunnel, Indonesia wants to demonstrate its support for this “spirit of concord, this communion”to which Pope Francis is calling on the occasion of the Paris Games, while it is a candidate to organize the 2034 Olympic Games.
