ASIA/INDONESIA – Indonesia prepares for Pope Francis’ visit by inaugurating the “Tunnel of Fraternity” linking a cathedral and a mosque.
Paolo Affatato
JAKARTA (Agenzia Fides) – Pilgrims have not yet walked through the so-called “Tunnel of Fraternity,” which is scheduled to be officially opened this fall. However, the work is already complete and all that remains is to open it to the public and to the already enthusiastic Christian and Muslim faithful. This is an underground passageway that connects Jakarta’s Catholic Cathedral with the Istiqlal Mosque, the building that fronts the Christian temple.
In the heart of the Indonesian capital, at the heart of Independence Square, a place of great value to the national identity, two imposing structures gaze lovingly at each other from a very close distance, almost as if reflecting each other. This is the result of architectural choices and urban planning that were intended from the very beginning to signify and symbolize a common purpose, a vision of coexistence rooted in the Indonesian nation.
This vision was reinforced by the construction and restoration of the underpass (originally just a road underpass) which, thanks to the idea of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (who will be succeeded this autumn by his recently elected successor, Prabowo Subianto), has become a symbol of permeation, a continuous exchange of visits, an avenue of human and spiritual friendship that has ultimately come to define the face of this great city and of the vast and diverse Indonesian society as a whole.
The first was a neo-Gothic cathedral, built in the first half of the 19th century after the Director General of Batavia (the former name of Jakarta) of the Dutch East India Company donated land to build a Catholic church. The church was named “Assumption of the Virgin Mary” in 1829. Due to structural problems, the building was rebuilt in the last decade of the 19th century. Between 1891 and 1901, Father Antonius Dijkmans was in charge of the new architectural structure, with the contribution of architect MJ Hulswit, and the new Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was consecrated on April 21, 1901 by Father Edmundus Sibrandus Luypen, the Apostolic Vicar of Batavia. After the recent restoration, completed in 2002, the church shows all its splendor and is a meeting point for pilgrims from all over Indonesia. At the end of the right nave is the statue of the Virgin Mary, a place of fervent prayer. Marta, a teacher in her 40s, tells Fides that she has come to entrust all her troubles and sufferings to Mary and Jesus so that they may receive her and give her comfort and strength. Currently, there is a special “counter” in the church, an electronic device that displays “59” on the screen. This is the number of days remaining until Pope Francis visits the cathedral (he will be in Indonesia from September 3rd to 5th). And on the left side of the main altar watching over the believers is the statue of “Mary, Mother of All Peoples”. This statue was made in 2015 to make the Virgin Mary “closer” to Indonesian believers, and was later adopted as a symbol of national unity by Jakarta Archbishop Cardinal Ignatius Suhario. The Virgin Mary is wearing a traditional Javanese costume called “kebaya”. On her chest she wears the bird “Garuda Pancasila”, a traditional symbol of Indonesia, and on her head she wears a red and white veil, the colors of the Indonesian flag. These colors also represent the values of courage and holiness. The crown features a map of Indonesia, entrusts itself to Mary’s protection and welcomes Pope Francis to ask for his blessing.
The silence inside the church is offset by the bustle of the festival outside. Accompanied by their parents and teachers, a group of children from a Protestant Christian school in North Jakarta are celebrating with joy a visit to the church and adjacent museum on their way to a pilgrimage to holy sites in the city. Along with them, Catholic children from St. Dominic’s Parish in Bekasi, on the outskirts of the capital, who are part of the local Pontifical Missionary Society’s “Missionary Childhood” initiative, are spending a day of spiritual retreat on the cathedral grounds. Their motto: “Have faith and give Jesus to everyone you meet.”
Equally crowded, a place of socialization and rest, and the destination of a Sunday excursion for many, is the Istiqlal Mosque, a modern and majestic structure (the largest mosque in Southeast Asia) built to commemorate Indonesian independence and called “Istiqlal,” which means “independence” or “freedom” in Arabic.
Picnickers, children, youth, women, seniors and whole families relax in the temple’s large outdoor space and in the cozy arcaded courtyard, which offers protection from the dry season heat. Muslim devotees traditionally remove their shoes before entering the vast prayer hall and bowing to pray on the floor-to-ceiling red carpet that stretches between the imposing silver columns and domes that encircle the entire expansive space. There are no special celebrations (prayer services are held on Fridays), but sermons by the great Imam KH Nasaruddin Umar play over the loudspeakers. After receiving the informal confirmation, Umar could not contain his joy and surprised both the government and the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference by announcing to the media for the first time that Pope Francis would visit his temple and meet with religious leaders from various denominations. “Pope Francis’ message is also the mission of Istiqlal Mosque to convey humanity, spirituality and civilization, without distinction of religion, ethnicity or language. Humanity is one,” he said, expressing the expectation and satisfaction of Jakarta’s Muslim community at the Pope’s arrival.
The idea to build this temple came from the then “Minister of Religious Affairs” Wahid Hasim in 1949 (after Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands). The construction committee was established in 1953 under the supervision of Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, who wanted to build a mosque in Merdeka Square (Independence Square). The president and all members of the government also stressed that the decision to build a mosque in front of the Jakarta Cathedral was intended to symbolize the religious harmony and tolerance inherent in Pancasila, the “Charter of Five Principles”, the national philosophy that underlies the Constitution.
That spirit is still there today, when Muslims proudly speak of the “Silatrami Tunnel” that connects their homes to Catholic churches. The expression is as meaningful as ever. In the Indonesian context and culture, scholars explain that “Silatrami” refers to a form of social interaction that sustains strong human relationships, including blood ties, educational, economic, social and religious ties.
“Silatrami” is a term used specifically by Indonesian Muslims and means “the intention to nurture and cultivate relationships.”
In the “dialogue of life”, consisting of friendly habits, simple gestures and selfless mercy, lies the desire and intention to maintain good relations. Cardinal Ignatius Suhario and the Imam nurture them with daily gentleness and empathy, which will be expressed in the way that they can be expressed through this tunnel, a channel that will always be open, allowing a flow of devotees in both directions, to appreciate the work of Indonesian architect Sunaryo and sculptor Aditya Novali, after the restoration is completed in 2022. The artists created bas-reliefs that decorate the walls of the marble-covered passage. The illustrations of the sculptures, created “positively” (in the relief) and “negatively” (in the excavation) on the walls of the tunnel, read that the two touching hands “give the idea of humility born from the inner part of the soul, so that each person feels connected and oneness”. And as the visitor makes his way along the path of concentric circles drawn in granite, it becomes clear that Pope Francis, “a symbol of hope that gives new light to the path”, will not be able to cross the underground passage. The authorities deny this hypothesis for security reasons, but it has no effect whatsoever on the mood, the joy and the obvious enthusiasm of the Catholic community and the followers of the Prophet on the other side of the road, who are ready to welcome and embrace the smiling and white-robed Pope. (Agenzia Fides, July 23, 2024)
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