Pope’s trip to Indonesia: Catholics

The evangelization of Asia dates back to the early days of Christianity, since Tradition tells that the apostle Thomas went as far as China to proclaim the Gospel. But it was in the 16th century, notably under the impetus of Portuguese missionaries, that Catholicism truly took root in Indonesia.

The emergence of Catholicism

Indonesia has only existed in its contemporary form since 1950, when it achieved independence from the Netherlands. Western domination of the archipelago began in the 16th century, when the Spanish and Portuguese sought to trade in the territory’s valuable spices. Led by Alfonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese took Malacca, then the Moluccas and the island of Java.

Thanks to the Padroadoa papal jurisdiction asking the Portuguese crown to ensure the evangelization of the newly conquered lands, Christianity quickly took root in India. This was not the case in the rest of the Portuguese colonial empire in Asia, in particular due to a poor understanding of local religions (Buddhism and Hinduism). The Jesuits then made a significant effort to adapt and learn about local cultures. According to Father Patrick Suryadi, an Indonesian priest, “Catholicism was introduced to Indonesia by missionaries who sought to facilitate its acceptance by inculturating it. These efforts allowed the Catholic faith to not be perceived as an external influence, but rather as an integral component of the life of Christian communities in Indonesia.”

The Indonesian Church Today

Today, Indonesia has thirty-seven dioceses. Most Catholics live in the Maluku Islands or on the island of Flores. There are 500,000 in Jakarta, out of the capital’s 11 million inhabitants.

The country recognizes six official religions: Islam – which is largely the majority –, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Belief in a single God is a principle of the Indonesian nation, enshrined in the Pancasilathe five philosophical precepts enshrined in the country’s Constitution.

The government includes a ministry dedicated to religious affairs, with a general directorate specifically dealing with issues related to the Catholic community. “In general, Christians live in security and enjoy their freedom, guaranteed by the country’s constitution,” says Father Suryadi. The community maintains peaceful relations with the political authorities, who sometimes subsidize some of its activities (construction of buildings, liturgical events, etc.). However, there is a downside to this support: “the Church may end up losing some of its critical capacity towards the government,” says the priest.

The largest Muslim country in the world

Along with the Muslim community, the daily life of Christians varies according to the regions of the country. On the island of Flores, which is predominantly Catholic, all denominations coexist peacefully, and Muslims sometimes participate in Eucharistic celebrations. In the regions of Sumatra and West Java, on the other hand, Christian communities are under more pressure. The construction of churches is made difficult by the Muslim neighbourhood, which fears seeing it as a form of proselytism, which is illegal in the country.

For this same reason, evangelization takes a particular form in Indonesia: “conscious of their minority status, Catholics adopt an evangelical approach based on exemplarity, embodying Christian values ​​in their daily lives, which allows them to shine in society and arouses the interest and support of others. There is no “direct” evangelization, as in Europe,” explains Father Suryadi.

Attached to the incarnation of these Christian values, Indonesian Catholics are also concerned to note the secularization of the West: “we are witnessing, with great concern, the closure and sale of many churches in Europe, a direct consequence of the significant decline in the number of faithful. This phenomenon, which seems to be spreading across the continent, is for us an alarming sign of a profound spiritual crisis, of a rupture between the Church and European society. For us, who have received the faith from Europe, it is difficult to understand how this same continent, once so fervent, can today seem to turn its back on its Christian roots.” And the priest concludes: “we ardently hope that Europe will find the strength to revive its faith and to breathe new life into the Christian values ​​that have shaped its identity for centuries.”