Cardinal Ignatius Suhartyo Hardiatmodjo of Jakarta inaugurated Calvary Catholic Church in Lubang Buaya in East Jakarta City on Sept. 14 during a Mass attended by 25 priests and thousands of worshippers.
The parish had been struggling to obtain a building permit since 1991. It even purchased an additional piece of land to fulfill the government norm of providing 40 percent of the total land area as open space.
However, objections were raised by Muslim groups. In 2009, Muslim figures in Lubang Buaya signed a letter objecting to the construction of the church.
The parish then formed a special team to approach Muslim religious figures. In 2021, the parish obtained a permit from Jakarta Governor Anies Rasyid Baswedan.
Cardinal Suharyo hoped that the congregation would interpret the long wait for the church from a faith perspective and not as “not a wasted time.”
He said the congregation can take advantage of the new church to grow in faith.
The cardinal recalled the theme of Pope Francis' recent visit -- Faith, Fraternity, and Compassion -- and said it was an important thing to always remember.
Parish priest Father Johan Ferdinand Wijshijer said the church’s inauguration “was the culmination of the 33-year-old dream of the congregation.”
“This is a joy that is difficult to express in words,” the priest said.
"Indeed, there are radical groups. But because we received support from religious figures, they did not dare to interfere," Wijshijer said.
East Jakarta Administration Mayor Muhammad Anwar, who was present at the inauguration, said the church will be beneficial to Lubang Buaya residents.
According to a government rule in the Muslim-majority nation, written consent from local residents, including Muslims, is needed to get a construction permit for a place of worship.
The 2006 joint regulation of the ministries of home and religious affairs requires religious communities to obtain 90 signatures from their own community and 60 signatures from other local residents to get the permit.
The rule was widely criticized by rights groups for making it difficult for minority religious groups to establish places of worship. Muslim groups often oppose the construction of churches.
In November last year, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Cikarang in Bekasi Regency received permission after 18 years.
In January, St. Benedict Church in Padalarang subdistrict under Bandung diocese started construction after a 15-year delay as its license was withheld because of resistance from local Muslims.