A kiss of peace at Istiqlal State Mosque, the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia, stands as the most eloquent symbol of Pope Francis’ 11-day trip to four Asia-Pacific countries, the longest journey of his pontificate.

The viral images from this Jakarta mosque — with the Pope kissing the hand of Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar, and the Muslim leader kissing the pontiff’s head as well — fueled hope for greater harmony even in neighboring countries.

The encounter took place on September 5, but its symbolic power lingered even after the Pope left Asia for Rome on Friday, September 13.

University of the Philippines (UP) student Perry Mansul, who belongs to the UP Bangsamoro Studies Group, said photos of Francis and Umar “certainly sent chills.” It was especially significant because Filipino Muslims like him look up to their brothers and sisters in Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, regarding Islamic practices.

“I felt represented by the Grand Imam’s gesture,” said Mansul in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app on September 5. “I also feel that this kind of solidarity is critical when certain issues like the genocide in Palestine are used by some to create temporary divisions.”

Septian Marhenanto, an Indonesian Jesuit studying in the Philippines, said the meeting at Istiqlal State Mosque “reminds me of my own family, since in the family, I have a biological brother and a biological sister who are also Muslims.”

They lived in the same house, he said, and celebrated Christmas and Eid’l Fitr together for years. He even joined the fasting of Muslims during Ramadan, and also participated in the iftar or the breaking of the fast. “It is a very wonderful experience,” he said.

Reflecting on the Pope’s encounter with the Grand Imam, Marhenanto said in Rappler’s faith chat room, “I believe that the diversity is not a barrier. Instead, it can become an opportunity to show the beautiful spirit of fraternity and to open more dialogue.”

Days after the Pope concluded his trip, conversations about it continue in the countries he visited: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore, three countries where Catholics form a minority, and Timor-Leste, where 98% of the population is Catholic but 42% lives below the poverty line.

How the papal visit is perceived across the Asia-Pacific, as a symbol of harmony in a world of strife, demonstrates the power of the papacy in the 21st century. It is not a power rooted in holy wars or the coronation of kings as in centuries past, but in a form of moral leadership for the good of humanity. 

Francis showed he was, in the words of a faith chat room member, a “Pope without borders.” In academic terms, according to a French Catholic theologian, Francis demonstrated the “universal sovereignty of the Pope” as he charts the path to a just and peaceful world.

Peace according to Francis

The Pope’s 11-day journey carried common themes across different countries: number one was unity in diversity, but there was also justice for the poor and oppressed, care for the sick and the elderly, fair wages for migrant workers, and the need for simple gestures of kindness. 

When the occasion called for it, as in the case of interfaith encounters, he spoke in a language understood by all regardless of religion. 

In at least one instance, before the youth of Scholas Occurentes in Jakarta, he even chose to give a generic blessing — omitting the sign of the cross — to the consternation of conservatives who wanted him to give even non-Catholics an explicitly Catholic blessing. 

In a speech, the Pope said at the Istiqlal State Mosque: “Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs no matter the cost. Such an approach, however, may end up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different.” 

“What really brings us closer is creating a connection in the midst of diversity, cultivating bonds of friendship, care, and reciprocity,” Francis added, stressing the need “to move forward together in pursuit of the same goals: defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace.”

At Scholas Occurrentes, the Pope said that “in life, there are four principles for peace and also for living together.”

He had outlined these four principles in his landmark papal document, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), issued in 2013 and now considered a blueprint for his papacy:

• “Time is greater than space,” a principle that “enables us to work slowly but surely, without being obsessed with immediate results”
• “Unity prevails over conflict”
• “Realities are more important than ideas”
• “The whole is greater than the part,” which means we should not “be overly obsessed with limited and particular questions” but instead “broaden our horizons and see the greater good which will benefit us all”

As he did in 2015 at Manila’s University of Santo Tomas, the Pope particularly emphasized at Scholas Occurrentes: “Reality is superior to ideas. If you go only for ideas, there will be conflict.”

“Life is to be lived in differences. If all things were the same, if all of us were the same, this would be boring,” the Pope, speaking like a grade school teacher, instructed his young audience. “In our differences, we can choose war or we can choose dialogue. We need always to choose the path.”

While the Pope was addressing the youth at Scholas Occurrentes, he was also addressing the world. 

‘A pastor of all humankind’

French Catholic theologian and cultural anthropologist Michel Chambon, coordinator of the Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics based in the National University of Singapore, said Francis’ trip to Asia-Pacific countries showed that “the Pope is a universal sovereign.”

“He’s a pastor of all humankind, taking care of everyone. Visiting these different sections, regions, of Asia is showing that,” he said. “It’s a big message that he’s sending to China, to India, who are two big players in Asia, to show that the Pope cares for everyone.”

The Pope’s influence as world leader, in other words, goes beyond his functions as head of state of Vatican City, a 44-hectare nation-state (smaller than the Philippines’ iconic 58-hectare Rizal Park) of around 500 people bounded by the city of Rome.

Chambon explained in an interview with Rappler: “He’s not just a sovereign of a few hectares in Rome. He’s a universal sovereign, and that creates all kinds of anxieties among political leaders who are afraid that this sovereign is going to compete with what they call national sovereignty, but sometimes I call it elite sovereignty.”

In contrast to these fears of political leaders, however, the Pope employed “a very gentle manner” in his Asia-Pacific trip, said Chambon.

“In Indonesia, it was so obvious. You had the massive support of the Muslims,” said the French theologian. He said even foreign journalists in Indonesia, including Asians, were puzzled: “What’s going on? Why are Muslims so supportive of a Catholic pope?”

“And that is this universal sovereignty. They get the message, the feeling that he cares. He’s not ruling them. But he’s making himself close. He’s making himself as a real moral leader,” said Chambon. “He’s among them. And he’s not imposing a solution. He’s just telling them, you have to figure out what you want to do for a better Southeast Asia.”

The Pope’s soft power

The Holy See itself acknowledges its “sui generis presence” — a class of its own — on the international stage.

The Vatican’s foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, explained this when he made an unprecedented trip to Manila in July this year. 

In a lecture at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, Gallagher said that unlike in the case of “conventional states,” the Holy See’s mission “transcends temporal, political, or material interests, focusing on profound religious and moral matters that transcend national and transnational concerns.”

Gallagher said the Holy See relies on “moral persuasion and the gifts of the spirit, often described as soft power.” Exercising a “subtle yet profound” influence, “this form of benevolent power enables the Holy See to achieve results that even the most dominant global authorities often struggle to attain on their own.”

The Vatican’s foreign minister said the Pope “serves as the central figure in the diplomatic efforts of the Holy See.”

“The Pope, as the universal pastor of the Church, exercises his soft power indirectly by inspiring the global community to champion related initiatives and policy preferences within their secular roles,” said Gallagher, as he named global poverty, climate change, and migration as key advocacies of Francis.

Fighting climate change, in fact, was one of the Pope’s key messages in Jakarta’s Istiqlal State Mosque. The Pope and the Grand Imam agreed that the earth is our “common home” and called on “all people of good will to take decisive action” — words that echo Francis’ historic papal document on climate change, Laudato Si’ (Praised Be).

Days later, in Singapore, the Pope challenged another audience of young people to seek common ground with people of different beliefs. “All religions are a path to reach God,” he explained at the Catholic Junior College. “There is only one God, and our religions are languages, paths to reach God. Some are Sikh, some are Muslim, some are Hindu, some are Christian, but they are different paths.”

“Interfaith dialogue among young people takes courage,” said the Pope. “You should have courage to move forward and to dialogue.”

The Pope’s trip to Asia-Pacific came at a time when the world, divided by wars or polarized by social media, needs a common vision.

Sure, the “universal sovereignty of the Pope” is far from perfect, with the Catholic Church facing its own crises in the form of abusive clergymen. The credibility of the Catholic Church has been damaged through the years, including in Timor-Leste, which Francis visited, where Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo is accused of sexual abuse.

Still, by making the longest journey of his pontificate, Pope Francis gave the world the inspiration, if not the moral leadership, it badly needs.

The Pope and the Grand Imam, at a Jakarta mosque, sealed it with a kiss. – Rappler.com