Indonesia sends Minister Umar to world peace forum in Rome

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar has departed for Rome, Italy, to represent Indonesia at the International Meeting of Dialogue and Prayer for Peace organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio on October 26–28.

“I am visiting Rome and the Vatican to commemorate the late Pope Francis at the International Meeting for Peace organized by the Sant’Egidio Community at the Colosseum,” he noted in a statement cited in Jakarta on Sunday.

Upon his arrival in Rome, Umar is scheduled to attend an event at the invitation of the Indonesian Embassy in the Vatican. He also plans to meet with hundreds of members of the Indonesian diaspora in the Vatican and Italy.

The minister recalled his memorable encounter with the late Pope Francis at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta in September last year, where they shared messages of world peace through the signing of the Istiqlal Declaration.

During the meeting, a touching gesture between the two religious leaders drew global attention—Umar kissed the Pope’s forehead, while the Pope kissed Umar’s hand and held it to his cheek.

At that time, Umar was serving solely as the grand imam of the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, a role he has continued to hold even after being appointed minister by President Prabowo Subianto a month later.

“We signed the Istiqlal Declaration to uphold humanity, dialogue, and environmental protection. This shared, universal spirit for peace continues to live on after the passing of Pope Francis,” he remarked.

The minister added that the declaration’s values of humanity and interfaith harmony are in line with Indonesia’s national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

Relations between Indonesia and the Vatican have grown closer in recent years, as reflected by the late Pope Francis’ visit to Jakarta in early September 2024, where he met then-President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Merdeka Palace.

On that occasion, Jokowi introduced the Pope to Prabowo, then-defense minister and president-elect, who later sent Indonesian representatives to attend the Pope’s funeral in April 2025.

Last May, President Prabowo conveyed his congratulations to Pope Leo XIV upon his ascension to the papacy and dispatched several ministers to attend the inauguration ceremony in the Vatican.

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