Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
KWI Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia
Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) – “Amidst global conflicts, we, Indonesian Christians and Muslims, are determined to build bridges of fraternity. This Iftar (breaking of the fast) offers space for interreligious encounters in a spirit of compassion, harmony, and peace. It is the peace we strive to cultivate daily, the peace we seek and pray for worldwide, while wars wound humanity,” said Father Aloys Budi Purnomo, a priest from the Archdiocese of Semarang and Secretary of the Commission for Interreligious Relations of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference, to Fides regarding the initiative of an Islamic-Christian meeting organized in Jakarta by Indonesian bishops during the fasting and Ramadan season, who wanted to “bear witness to genuine, fraternità, without discrimination.”
Shinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid, the "First Lady" of the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid (known as "Gus Dur"), attended the meeting, which recently took place at the headquarters of the Bishops' Conference. She highlighted the country's domestic political situation and expressed her concern. She spoke of a "month of fasting in the face of misfortune" and a "shock to democracy," and expressed her wish that "during this holy month, all human rights violations that cause suffering to the people may cease immediately."
While Christian hymns, Quranic verses, and Sufi dances filled the air at the Bishops' Conference headquarters, the Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, and the President of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference, Bishop Antonius Subianto, OSC, emphasized the Catholic Church's commitment to diversity and inclusion in Indonesia at all levels. The presence of religious representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdlatul Ulama, and Muhammadiyah (the two largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia) was “a powerful testimony of mutual closeness and fraternity,” remarked Father Purnomo. The participants in the meeting recalled the serious international situation and the conflict in the Middle East and jointly called for an end to hostilities and a resumption of dialogue—for the benefit of the peoples of the region and all of humanity.
As part of the interreligious assembly, a joint gesture of solidarity and commitment to those in need was also made: Hundreds of food packages were distributed to orphans, widows, and workers in the lead-up to Eid al-Fitr (March 20), which marks the end of Ramadan. “This is a charitable initiative carried out in several remote areas to help those in need while simultaneously strengthening tolerance and friendship among believers: this is how we live the true spirit of Lent and Ramadan,” concluded Father Purnomo. (Agenzia Fides, 17/3/2026)
