Pope Francis had on Thursday invited Muslims and Catholics to compel global leaders to confront the dangers of climate change and extremism, while speaking of the common roots of different religious beliefs on his visit to Southeast Asia’s largest mosque in Jakarta.
The pope had issued a joint declaration with the national grand imam in Indonesia and other local faith leaders, calling for “decisive action” to address the warming planet.
What They’re Saying
The declaration, formally signed by Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar read;
“The human exploitation of creation, our common home, has contributed to climate change, leading to various destructive consequences such as natural disasters, global warming and unpredictable weather patterns.”
“We sincerely call on all people of good will to take decisive action in order to maintain the integrity of the natural environment and its resources”.
The signing of the declaration had come during Francis’ visit to Istiqlal Mosque, a domed structure spanninv some nine hectares (22 acres) in central Jakarta.
The pope will be in Indonesia for a visit until Friday, as part of an ambitious 12-day journey to four countries across Southeast Asia and Oceania.
The pope, who pressed for the 2015 Paris climate pact, has also made confronting climate change a key focus of his pontificate.
Jakarta is the Indonesian capital home of at least 10 million people and is susceptible to climate change, as it is prone to chronic flooding and sinking land. To combat this, the government is building a new capital, Nusantara, on the island of Borneo.
