Indonesian government announces new initiatives for local Church

Jun 07, 2024

By Mathias Hariyadi
The Indonesian Ministry for Religious Affairs, through its Directorate for Catholics, has unveiled several new projects in collaboration with the local Church. These initiatives include services and institutions for disabled individuals and permits for constructing two new churches in the archdioceses of Jakarta and Palembang. The announcements were made during a recent meeting with the Episcopal Conference.

Key initiatives include the dissemination of a Braille translation of the Gospel of Mark for the visually impaired and the establishment of two Catholic high schools dedicated to training catechists to serve the disabled. These schools will be located in the district of Nagekeo on the island of Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province, and on the island of Nias in Sumatra province.

“Our agency focuses primarily on neglected people in remote areas of the country,” explained Supraman, director of the Directorate for Catholics. “We are providing financial aid packages to establish or renovate places of worship and to procure essential tools for education and other sectors.” The project for disabled people is a joint effort with the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Minister for Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas emphasised the government’s commitment to supporting the Indonesian Catholic Church and its communities in achieving their pastoral and social goals. He noted the significance of the new church permits, stating, “This has always been the most challenging issue for the Indonesian faithful.”

Msgr Antonius Subianto, OSC Bishop of Bandung and President of the Indonesian Episcopal Conference, expressed gratitude for the government’s support. “We share a common spirit of helping others, especially neglected people,” he remarked.--Asia News