Pope urges leaders in Indonesia to guard against religious extremism

Church will do more to boost interreligious dialogue, he says in first speech of Asia tour

Pope Francis on Sept 4 urged political leaders in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslimmajority country, to guard against religious extremism, which he said distorted people's religious beliefs through "deception and violence".

In his first speech during an ambitious 12-day journey across South-east Asia, where Christians are a small minority of the regional population, the pontiff said the Catholic Church would increase its efforts towards interreligious dialogue in hopes of helping to tamp down extremism.

"In this way, prejudices can be eliminated, and a climate of mutual respect and trust can grow," the 87year-old Pope said in an address to some 300 politicians and religious leaders at Jakarta's Merdeka presidential palace.

"This is indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence," said Pope Francis.

Indonesia has a population of about 280 million and is estimated to be about 87 per cent Muslim. Freedom of religion is guaranteed in the country's Constitution.