SCATHING CRITICISM FOR CHURCH LEADERS IN INDONESIA

France's Catholic La Croix newspaper reported on Saturday, January 27 that in Indonesia, a war criminal is at the gates of power.

This was in reference to former general Prabowo Subianto, son-in-law of former dictator Suharto, who in less than three weeks could potentially win the presidential election in the world's fourth most populous country. 

Prabowo, enemy of human rights, accepted by the church

Prabowo dismissed from the Indonesian Army, 1998.

Despite his populist outlook, Prabowo is alleged to have committed a number of serious crimes against humanity during his time as an army officer. For many Indonesian human rights militants, Prabowo's role in the kidnapping and killing of student activists during the Suharto era is indisputable. Not to mention the massacres in Timor Leste and Papua.

What is revolting, on January 26, Prabowo was warmly received by the Indonesian Bishops' Conference in a gathering event. This is unique to Indonesia, as in other countries, Catholic prelates are not used to dealing with presidential candidates, for whatever reason.

The church supports the winner, whoever he or she is

On this occasion, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo as the senior Indonesian Church leader declared publicly that he and his fellow Bishops will "support whoever will be elected through the process that has been regulated by law". In other words,"No matter good or bad, whoever wins the presidential election legitimately will be supported by the Church."

In fact, this is not the first time the Jakarta Cardinal has made statements that show he values the law over ethics. Back in 2021, when Indonesia's military operations were rampant in its easternmost province of Papua, Cardinal Suharyo made a controversial statement, on behalf of the Church, supporting the Indonesian government's policy in Papua.

Papuan Catholic student demonstration in front of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference office, 2021.

"The official stance of the Catholic church on the Papua issue is very clear, namely supporting the (Indonesian) government's position, because it is guaranteed by international law," he said. 

Even though this statement deeply hurt the feelings of many Papuans who are predominantly Christian, to date Cardinal Suharyo has never been heard to apologize let alone retract it. 

I denounce the Indonesian church 

Through this article, I write not only to expose Cardinal Suharyo's Pharisaical stance, but also to show that in Indonesia, the church has lost its conscience. Almost all Indonesian Church leaders are obsessed with power, while the faithful are so fanatical they've lost all critical thinking. On social media, there are plenty of Indonesian priests and apologists discussing the dogmas and moral teachings of the Church, but none discussing the essential issues of humanity and justice. 

A Papuan shot in Intan Jaya, 2024.

"This is not normal: priests in Jakarta are busy politicking with presidential candidates, while in Papua their sheep are being hunted by the Indonesian military," an angry young Papuan activist told me."The Indonesian Catholic Church seems paralyzed by cowardice, completely silent on the issue of human rights in Papua. The sermons of the priests in the churches frothily talk about love but they themselves have no heart for the suffering of their fellow Catholics in Papua," he concluded.

End of the word, I couldn't agree more with Papuan Augustinian Father Bernardus Baru who states plainly that Indonesian Church officials have manipulated the teachings of Jesus to justify their power, comfort and status, and that they themselves are unable to bring the Christ who was crucified two thousand years ago into the reality of human life today.