Church without dignity

In an interview with "Catholic Life" in 2019, Jakarta Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo quipped: "Many people comment on Papua but have never been there. The reality of Papua is very complex, it cannot be resolved in the short term."

On another occasion in 2021, the 74-year-old Javanese prelate emphasized that "The official stance of the Catholic Church regarding the Papua issue is very clear, namely to support the stance of the (Indonesian) government, because it is guaranteed by international law".

Both statements by the Indonesian Cardinal deeply hurt Papuans, giving the impression that resolving the conflict in Papua is the business of a handful of experts, and that whatever happens, the Church will prioritize the interests of the central government in Jakarta over the aspirations of the local indigenous.

Since the beginning of 2025, there has been no statement from Cardinal Suharyo regarding the conflict that continues to rage in Papua. All leaders of the Indonesian Church are practically silent. Why is that? 

I had the chance to discuss this with several Indonesian Catholic friends. Some argue that the bishops chose to remain silent so as not to worsen the situation. Others assume that the bishops are conducting quiet diplomacy with the government. 

Only one dares to be critical. "Almost all Church leaders in this country are losers. They are like hired shepherds who do not hesitate to sacrifice their sheep for their own safety," he said.

The recent viral incident on social media regarding the forced eviction of some indigenous people in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, by PT Kristus Raja, owned by the Diocese of Maumere, shows how far the Church in Indonesia is from the evangelical ideal.

Likewise with what happened a few months earlier in the Diocese of Merauke, South Papua, where the local Indonesian bishop openly support the government to clear more than two million hectares of forest for strategic state projects, even though this clearly contradicts the social teachings of the Church! 

How true is what Jesus said about false religious leaders in Matthew 7:16: "You Will Know Them by Their Fruits".

Now, what else can Papuans expect from the Indonesian Church? My answer: "Nothing!" 

A silent church is a powerless church. A church that oppresses the poor is a church without dignity. And indeed, there is no church more despicable than the one that supports tyranny.

As the protector of God's people, the Church is required to side with the weak and marginalized, instead of exploiting their helplessness. The Church must play a role in saving indigenous peoples whose rights are violated because of state politics.

In this context, the Indonesian Church deserves criticism for its lack of support for indigenous Papuans,

Written by Wim Anemeke, Papuan Catholic layman.

As a note:

West Papua or Papua for short is a former Dutch colony that declared independence on December 1, 1961. However, Indonesia annexed the region a few years later through a sham referendum known as the “Act of Free Choice” or Pepera. An estimated 500,000 Papuans were killed during the six decades of Indonesia occupation. In recent months many Papuans, especially those living in the mountains, have been tortured, shot and killed, while thousands have been forced to flee their homes due to increased Indonesian military operations.