Bishop Pitirim of Jakarta took part in the R20 International Religious Forum in Indonesia

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Bishop Pitirim of Jakarta, Vicar of the Diocese of Singapore of the Patriarchal Exarchate of South-east Asia, took part in the R20 International Religious Forum in Indonesia.

The forum was also attended by the delegation of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia: Mufti of the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Kemerovo region, Tagir hazrat Bikchantaev and First Deputy Mufti of Chuvashia Ilyas hazrat Safiyanov.

The meeting of world religious leaders was timed to coincide with the upcoming summit of the leaders of the countries of the “Big Twenty” (G20) on Bali. The tradition of holding such interreligious meetings on the eve of the G20 summits was established by the World Summit of Religious Leaders in Moscow in 2006. The initiators of the interreligious forum in Indonesia were the largest Muslim organization in the country, Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muslim World League. The key topic of discussion was the role of religion as a “source of global solutions.”

The guests of the R20 forum were welcomed by President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, Secretary General of the Muslim World League Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Nahdlatul Ulama, Miftahul Akyar.

Speaking at the opening of the forum, Yahya Cholil Staquf, General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Management Board, noted that the R20 religious forum is a sincere initiative and good spiritual will of religious people based on the deep concern of all believers for the future of mankind – the initiative, which has significant prospects.

Bishop Pitirim of Jakarta read out a greeting address from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the forum participants.

In total, more than 400 participants from Indonesia and around the world, including religious leaders of different faiths, took part in the R20 forum. The work of the International Religious Forum R20 was held from 2 to 3 November.