BANDUNG (UCAN): The Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia, started the construction of a church 15 years after its construction license was withheld because of resistance from local Muslims.
Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, the president of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, led a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of St. Benedict Church in Padalarang subdistrict, West Bandung Regency on January 22.
Local Catholics and government officials attended the event.
“We hope that this church can be used by around 4,000 Catholics around Padalarang, Cipatat, Batujajar, Ngamprah and Cisarua,” said Tri Basuki Joewono, chairperson of the church construction committee.
“So, the people will no longer need to travel far away to worship,” said Joewono, the rector of Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung.
Until now local Catholics had to go to faraway places including the one in the neighbouring Cimahi municipality for Church services.
Church officials first proposed the construction of the church on 2009, the first in West Bandung Regency, but failed to get the construction license.
We hope that this church can be used by around 4,000 Catholics around Padalarang, Cipatat, Batujajar, Ngamprah and Cisarua
Tri Basuki Joewono
According to a government rule, written consent from local residents, including Muslims, is needed to get a construction permit for a worship place.
The 2006 joint regulations of the Home Ministry and Ministry for Religious Affairs require religious communities to obtain 90 signatures from their own community and 60 signatures from local residents to get permits for places of worship. The rule was widely criticised by rights groups for making it difficult for minority religious groups to establish places of worship.
In 2015, Muslim groups put up posters at the proposed site of the church saying a Christian worship place cannot be allowed in a Muslim-majority area.
Joewono remarked that for the past 15 years they dialogued with the residents to get support. He explained that the process took a long time because people had to get to know each other and live side by side first, he said.
“Because we know each other and help each other, we are now appreciated and they are grateful to us,” he said.
Arsan Latif, acting regent [district chief] of West Bandung, said he supports the construction of the church because the constitution guarantees the protection of citizens’ rights to religion.
Because we know each other and help each other, we are now appreciated and they are grateful to us
Joewono
He said the government permitted the construction after all conditions were met.
“The government guarantees the safety and comfort of worship,” he said.
West Java is the most populous province in Indonesia with 49.94 million people and 97.29 per cent are Muslim.
In recent years, the advocacy group, Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, ranked it as the most intolerant province because of violations of religious freedom, including disturbances to places of worship.
The province has 83,476 mosques and Muslim prayer rooms, 406 Protestant churches, and 77 Catholic churches.
However, there are still many churches that have not received permission and have been waiting for years, Church sources say.
In November last year, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, received permission after waiting 18 years.
