ASIA/INDONESIA - Interview with the Director for the Government's relations with the Church: this is how we support Catholic schools and parishes

by Paolo Affatato
Jakarta (Fides News Agency) - In the office where he receives guests, on the 12th floor of the imposing building of the Ministry for Religious Affairs, in the center of Jakarta, Director Suparman - a 58-year-old Catholic official at the head of the "General Directorate for the Orientation of the Catholic Community" - likes to sit on a chair located between two figures that guarantee maximum protection from above: the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and that of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
We are not in a basilica, but in the government office of an Indonesian Ministry. In the Southeast Asian nation that is not a theocracy or even a secular state but, as Indonesians like to say, "a middle ground".
Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia (3-6 September) strongly presses upon the Ministry Directorate that is coordinating services for the faithful who will participate in the Mass celebrated by the Pope in the Gelora Bung Karno stadium, on September 5th.
In his office in Jakarta, Director Suparman (as in many cases, the Indonesian name is composed of a single name, which does not distinguish between name and surname, ed.) answered Fides News Agency's questions.


What is the status of the Catholic Church in Indonesia and what is its role in Indonesian society?

The Catholic Church in Indonesia has a recognized and respected status as an integral part of the pluralistic Indonesian society. The State, through various decrees, recognizes the Catholic Church and its realities as "Religious Legal Entities" and this status represents a guarantee for every activity.
The General Directorate for the Orientation of the Catholic Community at the Ministry of Religion is intended as a government service to Catholic citizens and constitutes – with the other five Directorates dedicated to state-recognised religions – a manifestation of the Indonesian government's commitment to supporting all religious communities in the country. Today we can say that the Catholic Church plays an extremely significant role in the development of the nation, especially in the fields of education, health and social services. And it is a reality actively involved for the common good of the entire Indonesian population, organizing programs and initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of people regardless of religious affiliation.


Do you have official data on how many Catholics there are in Indonesia, according to the government census?

According to the latest government census, from 2020, the number of Catholics in Indonesia amounts to about 8.5 million worshippers. This data shows that Catholics are a rather large minority in Indonesian society, with a Muslim majority. More recent data provided to the Ministry by the Episcopal Conference of Indonesia (KWI) indicate that, in the nation's 34 provinces, the total number of faithful is higher and reaches 10.5 million. I would like to point out that Catholic citizens enjoy a good reputation throughout Indonesia.


How does the Indonesian government view the Catholic community's commitment to education?

The Indonesian government highly values the commitment of the Catholic community in the field of education, a crucial sector for the future of the nation. Catholic educational institutions are known for the high quality of education and for their significant contribution to the intellectual development of the new generations. There are thousands of Catholic educational institutions officially recognized by the State, from primary to higher levels, scattered in various regions of Indonesia. There are those organized by private entities, such as dioceses, congregations, associations, which are licensed by the Ministry of Education; and there are many directly managed and organized by our Directorate, in this Ministry. They are our "state Catholic institutes" (a formula that, in the Indonesian view, is not contradictory, ed.). There are 62 primary schools organized by the Ministry of Religion with 217 teachers and 1,460 students. For the secondary education level, our General Directorate manages and provides assistance to 46 Catholic higher education institutions with 654 educators and teachers and 5,809 students. There are also 24 Catholic higher education institutions in the sector with 333 teachers and 6,009 students. They are all Catholic schools managed and cared for by the State, in close coordination and full collaboration with the Catholic bishops. The process to create a Catholic school always begins with the needs of the population, oftentimes in remote areas, which is reported to the Ministry by the Catholic Bishops' Conference. In private schools, school fees for families are quite high: this is why the government takes care of the need, creating a public school and providing for staff salaries and organization, with lower costs for families. 20% of our Ministry's budget is dedicated to education and the government sets up low-cost state schools for families. It should be noted that all this also happens for the other Directorates of the Ministry, the system is the same, that is, there are state schools for other religions as well.


How do you assess the involvement of the Catholic Church in interreligious dialogue and its contribution to harmony and coexistence between the various religions in Indonesia?

The Catholic Church is actively and constructively involved in interreligious dialogue in Indonesia. I must say that the Catholic Church often becomes a bridge to create understanding and cooperation between communities through various dialogue forums and social activities involving various religious groups. This is a steady effort involving all actors, the State and religious communities. Every faith community has its "fundamentalists", followers who can have a "radical" interpretation of their beliefs. The word "radical" can be positive, in the sense of returning to one's roots, but when we think of "radicals" in general we refer to those groups that promote intolerance and use violence. The Ministry of Religious Affairs works closely with other ministries and other religious institutions to counter radicalized groups. Our action is expressed above all in the field of prevention, as an approach of the entire government and communities of faith. The Ministry of Religious Affairs has a basic strategic program to ensure and promote "religious moderation" in Indonesia: this is a perspective and an attitude practiced in Indonesian society that, it could be said, is a pioneer of harmony among believers.


Mr. Suparman, how does the Directorate you lead work, especially in terms of requests to build new Catholic churches?

Our General Management receives requests for the construction of new Catholic churches. Even in this field, the priority is that of remote areas: in fact, in Java or in urban areas there are the Catholic worshippers who financially support the construction while, in the most remote areas, only the government, with its own funds, can guarantee construction. But let's not only consider the building, but the overall life support of the communities: for example this year we provided 42 motorcycles to catechists in areas such as North Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands (West Sumatra), Papua or East Nusa Tenggara. And, thanks to the collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, we have provided Bibles in Braille, for the blind, to 37 dioceses. A special case concerns the new Indonesian capital, Nusantara, under construction: there we are taking care of the project and then the construction of the Cathedral basilica, which will be named after Saint Francis Xavier and on which construction will commence next autumn. It will be a church with an Indonesian face, that is, it will reflect the architectural style of the local culture. We ensure that all necessary administrative and regulatory requirements are met, before giving permission.


What happens where obstacles or problems arise among the local population, which oppose the construction of a church?

Where there may be problems, of different nature, the Ministry sets its resources in motion. We currently have about 20 cases in which we are examining the administrative process, often the one that causes a slowdown. Five cases have already been resolved and the documents for construction are ready. In general, if and when one experiences problems in local communities (though they are rare and isolated cases), one tries to understand the facts and meet the people. Often, Islamic people or groups coming from abroad are the ones to raise problems. The way is always to seek a peaceful solution, bringing Islamic leaders and institutions such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, and Catholic leaders, civil authorities, associations of the territory, together. The secret to reaching a solution is networking and finding a community approach, with the approval of an interreligious Forum. There is a framework regulation for the construction of a Catholic church, elaborated and approved by the government in agreement with the Episcopal Conference. In every situation, we protect the legality of the status of the Catholic Church. The government provides its institutional protection and all legal guarantees. This approach allows you to overcome problems.
(Fides News Agency 22/8/2024)

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