Pope Francis on Wednesday appealed for religious unity to counter extremism and intolerance, as the longest tour of the 87-year-old’s papacy got into full swing in Muslim-majority Indonesia.
On the first full day of his four-nation trip to the Asia-Pacific, the pontiff zeroed in on the role all faiths can play on flashpoint security issues.
“To foster a peaceful and fruitful harmony that ensures peace, the Church desires to strengthen interreligious dialogue.
“(Extremists) through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence,” the pope said in a speech after meeting President Joko Widodo.
The pope also said self-interest was preventing the religious unity he had called for and was driving wars around the world, without referring to a specific one.
“In various regions, we see the emergence of violent conflicts, which are often the results… of the intolerant desire to let one’s interests, one’s position or one’s historical narrative prevail at all costs,” he said.
Widodo echoed the pope’s remarks.
