30-meter corridor symbolizes harmony in world’s largest Muslim-majority country
José Maria C.S. André
The Pope’s visit to Indonesia is generating enormous enthusiasm among the people, who are mostly Muslim. In fact, Indonesia is the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world. This might lead someone to imagine an atmosphere of radicalism, but the reality of this Far Eastern land is anything but extremist.
Jakarta’s great mosque was deliberately built near the Catholic cathedral and the Emmanuel church of the Protestant community, as a sign of friendship. Sukarno, Indonesia’s “Founding Father” and first President after independence, was personally involved in choosing that location. The winner of the architectural tender for the great mosque was the Catholic architect Friedrich Silaban. More recently, the authorities, headed by the current President of the Republic, Joko Widodo, decided to dig a tunnel between the mosque and the cathedral to strengthen the bonds of friendship with the Catholic Church. Three years ago, exactly on August 27, 2021, the Vice President inaugurated the tunnel, walking through it together with Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, Archbishop of Jakarta, Nasaruddin Umar, Imam of the great mosque, and an entourage of other authorities.
What’s the point of this little tunnel between the Istiqlal great mosque and the cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, a short distance apart, one in front of the other? Playing with words, we can say that the tunnel corresponds to Pope Francis’ call to build bridges. Perhaps there aren’t many underground corridors that so expressively symbolize the unity of a country, founded on harmony and respect for the religious convictions of all its citizens. No wonder, the Pope spared no praise for the Friendship Tunnel.
The history of gentle kindnesses between the Muslim and Catholic communities is charming. When Muslims celebrate the great feast of Eid al-Fitr, the schedule of Eucharists in the cathedral is changed so that Muslims have more space in the cathedral parking lot. On the other hand, at Christmas and Easter, the main Muslim organizations collaborate in the organization and security of the Catholic faithful who gather in the cathedral.
The tunnel, slightly less than 30 meters long, is decorated with bas-reliefs by the Indonesian sculptor Aditya Novali, representing the fraternal friendship between people of different religions. The walls of both entrances to the tunnel display Muslim and Christian sentences about brotherhood.
During his visit to Indonesia (September 2-6), the Pope has been in the great mosque and in the cathedral, but for health reasons he didn’t go through the tunnel. However, after the Pope’s visit, good news awaits Jakarta’s Christians and Muslims: the tunnel will be permanently open to the public. As well as being a symbol of friendship, it will make it easier to share the parking lots of the cathedral and the great mosque. As people say in some countries, it joins the useful with the pleasant.
(Main image: Bas-relief on the walls of the Tunnel of Friendship, depicting people of different religions holding hands.)
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