Catholic Church Silence and Complicity in Papua: A Critical Examination
Catholic Church Silence and Complicity in Papua: A Critical Examination
The Indonesian Catholic Church faces criticism for silence and complicity in Papua, failing to defend human rights, address state violence, and uphold its prophetic mission to the oppressed.
A Cry Ignored
On December 10, 2020—World Human Rights Day—147 Catholic priests from Papua issued a solemn appeal to the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (Konferensi Waligereja Indonesia, KWI), urging urgent attention to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in their land.
A year later, Papuan Catholic students staged a protest in front of both the Vatican Embassy and KWI offices in Jakarta. Among their demands was the retraction of Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo’s public endorsement of Indonesian government policies in Papua. This endorsement came despite ongoing human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of catechist Rufinus Tigau by the Indonesian military in 2020 in Intan Jaya.
Nearly three years later, the Catholic Church hierarchy’s response remains one of deafening silence. Ambrosius Mulait, leader of the Papuan Catholic student front, lamented the impotence of both the National Human Rights Commission and the Church:
"We have reported this to the National Human Rights Commission and also the Catholic Church. But they remain silent."
This silence is particularly stark in light of the Church’s historical record during Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor (1975–1999), when approximately 200,000 predominantly Catholic Timorese were massacred with minimal ecclesiastical protest.
Institutional Constraints and Compromised Diplomacy
The National Human Rights Commission in Indonesia is heavily constrained due to its financial dependence on the government, further entrenching institutional failure to address abuses in Papua.
The Vatican’s role also appears compromised. The Nuncio in Jakarta frequently praises religious tolerance in Indonesia, yet this image conceals persistent discrimination and systemic abuses against minority religious and ethnic groups in the country.
This gap between diplomatic rhetoric and reality undermines the credibility of the Holy See’s engagement with Indonesia and raises questions about the Vatican’s commitment to genuine religious freedom and justice.
The anticipated visit of Pope Francis to Indonesia in 2020, which could have been a powerful gesture of solidarity, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not been rescheduled. More strikingly, Pope Francis has remained largely silent on Papua throughout his pontificate, despite the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis.
Escalating Violence and Humanitarian Crisis
Military operations in Papua’s mountainous interior have intensified in recent years. Over 60,000 civilians have been displaced, famine has worsened, and more than 600,000 school-age children have been denied education.
Yet Cardinal Suharyo has remained steadfast in supporting the Indonesian military, asserting that the Church’s official position aligns with the government’s stance, justified by “international law.” But are extrajudicial killings, land expropriation, and systemic oppression truly protected under international law? The answer is no.
A Church Subordinated to Nationalism
The Catholic hierarchy in Indonesia has subordinated its prophetic mission to nationalist ideology, summarized in the slogan “100% Catholic, 100% Indonesian.” In reality, this ideology prioritizes loyalty to the state over defending the faithful, leading bishops to side with government policies.
Originating under General Suharto’s authoritarian regime, this posture persists despite Indonesia’s democratization in 1998. The Church’s proclaimed neutrality masks tacit acceptance of injustice. Instead of advocating for victims, Church leaders rebuke Christians resisting oppression while tolerating systemic marginalization.
At a 2014 meeting with Pacific bishops, Msgr. Leo Laba Ladjar, then Chair of the Indonesian Papuan Bishops’ Council, denied serious human rights violations in Papua. Yet independent research estimates that roughly 500,000 Papuans have died due to military violence since the 1960s—a figure demanding acknowledgment rather than denial.
Cardinal Suharyo’s claim that Papua’s problems are “complex” obscures a simpler reality: Papua remains under colonial-style occupation. The Church, instead of challenging this, often acts as an apologist, masking violence, dispossession, and cultural genocide. Health and education programs exist but serve as palliative measures rather than addressing political injustice.
Demographic and Environmental Consequences
The Church’s silence has severe consequences. Indigenous Papuans now comprise only 40% of the population in Papua provinces—less than 1% of Indonesia’s total population. Father Frans Lieshout, one of the first Dutch missionaries in the Baliem Valley, warned decades ago of the potential extermination of Papuans akin to Aboriginal Australians.
In some cases, the Church has facilitated economic exploitation. In Merauke, over 925,000 hectares of forest have been lost, and 2.65 million hectares converted for “development” projects, with church complicity. Bishop Canisius Mandagi has been accused of endorsing corporate exploitation by Korindo in exchange for financial aid—demonstrating moral compromise, prioritizing wealth over indigenous rights and ecological stewardship.
Internal Critiques
Voices within the Church, such as Augustinian priest Bernard Baru, accuse the hierarchy of “manipulating the teachings of Jesus to justify their power, comfort, and status,” failing to embody the suffering Christ in contemporary Papua.
The Church’s vocation demands being the voice of the voiceless and defender of the defenseless. Remaining neutral in persecution amounts to theological abdication. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:13:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?"
A Church that loses its prophetic saltiness ceases to serve its divine mandate.
A Call for Institutional Conversion
The Indonesian Catholic Church can no longer remain silent while Papuans and other marginalized communities suffer. Church leaders must undergo profound institutional conversion—rooted in truth, repentance, and solidarity with the oppressed.
This requires rejecting nationalist loyalty over the Gospel, confronting state violence and economic exploitation, and defending the dignity of all human beings. Failing to act is not only a betrayal of the Gospel but a denial of the Church’s identity as the salt of the earth and light of the world.
True conversion means living faith with integrity: standing with the suffering, challenging oppression, and fostering justice, peace, and reconciliation. Only then can the Church restore its credibility, renew its mission, and embody Christ’s love and justice.
Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo of Timor-Leste once said:
"When it comes to human dignity, even in the name of national security, the Church will always side with the person—because a human life is worth more than the state or national interest."
Indonesian bishops would do well to heed these words. The Church’s loyalty must be to the Gospel and the oppressed—not the state.
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