Indonesia’s Jakarta Archdiocese has inaugurated a parish church after a 33-year wait due to objections from local Muslims. Source: UCA News.
Cardinal Ignatius Suhartyo Hardiatmodjo of Jakarta inaugurated Calvary Catholic Church in Lubang Buaya in East Jakarta City on Saturday during a Mass attended by 25 priests and thousands of worshippers.
The parish had been struggling to obtain a building permit since 1991. It even purchased an additional piece of land to fulfill the government norm of providing 40 percent of the total land area as open space.
However, objections were raised by Muslim groups. In 2009, Muslim figures in Lubang Buaya signed a letter objecting to the construction of the church.
The parish then formed a special team to approach Muslim religious figures. In 2021, the parish obtained a permit from Jakarta Governor Anies Rasyid Baswedan.
Cardinal Suharyo hoped that the congregation would interpret the long wait for the church from a faith perspective and not as “wasted time”.
He said the congregation can take advantage of the new church to grow in faith.
The Cardinal recalled the theme of Pope Francis’ recent visit – Faith, Fraternity, and Compassion – and said it was an important thing to always remember.
Parish priest Fr Johan Ferdinand Wijshijer said the church’s inauguration “was the culmination of the 33-year-old dream of the congregation”.
“This is a joy that is difficult to express in words,” the priest said.
“Indeed, there are radical groups. But because we received support from religious figures, they did not dare to interfere,” Fr Wijshijer said.
According to a government rule in the Muslim-majority nation, written consent from local residents, including Muslims, is needed to get a construction permit for a place of worship.
The rule was widely criticised by rights groups for making it difficult for minority religious groups to establish places of worship.
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Jakarta archdiocese ends 33-year wait for new church (UCA News)
