Catholicism in Indonesia

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Catholicism in Indonesia refers to Roman Catholicism in Indonesia, where it is one of the five approved religions. It began with the arrival of the Portuguese in search of the Spice Islands in the 16th century.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Portuguese era 1.2 The VOC era 1.3 The East Indies era 1.4 The Van Lith era 1.5 The independence war era 1.6 The post-independence era 2 Demographics 3 References 3.1 General 3.2 Notes 4 See also

[edit] History

[edit] Portuguese era

Portuguese explorers arrived in the Maluku Islands in 1534, with the goals of converting the natives to Roman Catholicism and to obtain valuable spices endemic to the region. Spainard Francis Xavier, a co-founder of the Jesuit Order, worked in the islands from 1546 to 1547, and baptised several thousand locals of the islands of Ambon, Ternate and Morotai (or Moro), laying the foundations for a permanent mission there. Following his depature from Maluku, others carried on his work and by the 1560s there were 10,000 Catholics in the area, mostly on Ambon, and by the 1590s there were 50,000 to 60,000. Portuguese Dominican priests also had some success in missionary activities on Solor where by the 1590s the Portuguese and local Catholic population is thought to have numbered 25,000. ^[1]

[edit] The VOC era

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) came to Indonesia in 1619 and took over control from the Portuguese traders. Having come from a Protestant country, the company banned the Catholic church from operating in Indonesia, reducing Roman Catholicism to areas of the island of Flores and East Timor, still under Portuguese influence at the time.

The Catholic priests were replaces with Protestant priests from The Netherlands. Many Christians at the time converted to Protestantism. For some time, Catholic priests were threatened with capital punishment if found to be residing in VOC territory. In 1624, Father Egidius d'Abreu (SJ), was executed in Batavia during the administration of Governor General Jan Pieterszoon Coen for celebrating Mass in prison.

Father A. de Rhodes, a French Jesuit who invented the Vietnamese westernized alphabet system, was forced to watch his cross and Mass accessories burned underneath where two convicted thieves were just hung to their deaths. De Rhodes was then expelled from VOC territories in 1646.

Yoanes Kaspas Kratx, an Austrian, was forced to leave Batavia due to difficulties with the administrators due to the help he gave to Catholic priests who were in transit in Batavia. He was moved to Macau, joined the Jesuit Order, and died as a martyr in Vietnam in 1737.

At the end of the 18th century Western Europe saw intense warfare between France and Great Britain and their respective allies. The sympathies of the people of the Netherlands were divided, and the Netherlands lost its independence. In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte assigned his brother Louis Napoleon, a Catholic, to the throne of the Netherlands. In 1799 the VOC went bankrupt and was dissolved.

[edit] The East Indies era

The change of politic in The Netherlands, mainly because of the accession of King Lodewijk, a fervent Catholic, brought a positive effect. Religious freedom was recognised by the government. On 8 May 1807, the leader of Catholic Church in Rome was given permission from King Louis Napoleon to establish "Prefektur Apostolik" (translated as Apostolic Prefecture) of East Indies in Batavia (now Jakarta).

On 4 April 1808, two Dutch priests arrived at Jakarta. They were Pastor Jacobus Nelissen PR and Pastor Lambertus Prisen PR. The former was the first Apostolic Prefect.

Governor General Daendels (1808-1811), replaced VOC with the government of Dutch East Indies. Religious freedom was then practised, although Catholicism was made difficult. At that time, there were five priests for 9,000 people, who lived far from each other. However at 1889, the condition was better, because there were 50 priests in Indonesia. In Yogyakarta area, Catholic mission was forbidden until 1891.

[edit] The Van Lith era

Catholicism in this area began when Romo Van Lith, a priest from The Netherlands came to Muntilan, Central Java in 1896. Initially, his effort does not produce a satisfying result, but in 1904, suddenly four chiefs (the head of the town) from Kalibawang region came to his house and demanded him to give them education in the religion, until on 15 December 1904, a group of 178 Javanese were babtised at Semagung, between two trees called "Sono". This became the place that is nowadays called Sendangsono, which is located in Muntilan, district Magelang, Central Java, near the border of province DI Yogyakarta.

Van Lith also established a school for teachers in Muntilan called "Normaalschool" in 1900 and "Kweekschool (also for teachers)" in 1904. In 1918, all Roman Catholic schools were put under an institute, called "Yayasan Kanisius", which produces the first priests and bishops of Indonesia. In 20th Century, the Roman Catholic Church grew fast.

In 1911, Van Lith established "Seminari Menengah" (Seminari, an Indonesian word, is a school that give instructions to future priests). Three out of six candidates that were in the school during 1911-1914 were received into priesthood in 1926-1928. Those priests were Romo FX Satiman SJ, Romo A Djajasepoetra SJ, and Romo Albertus Soegijapranata SJ.

(Note: "Romo" and "Pastor" are Javanese/Indonesian words for priest, normally attached in front of the name of a priest, and SJ which is an abbreviation of Serikat Jesus, an organisation which were established by Francis Xavier, attached at the end of one's name to indicate which priesthood that person belongs. The other being "PR". FX, the name of one of those priests mentioned above is Fransiskus Xaverius or Francis Xavier in English)

[edit] The independence war era

Albertus Soegijapranata became the first Indonesian bishop on 1940.

On 20 December 1948, Romo Sandjaja and Frater Hermanus Bouwens SJ were killed in a village called Kembaran, near Muntilan, when Dutch soldiers attacked Semarang which continued to Yogyakarta in "Agresi Militer Belanda II". Romo Sandjaja is recognised as Indonesian martyr in the history of Roman Catholic Church in Indonesia.

Monsigneur (abbreviated Mgr., normally reserved for a bishop) Soegijapranata with Bishop Willekens SJ faced the Japanese colonial rule, and they managed to keep Saint Carolus Hospital to operate normally.

There are a lot of Indonesian heros who are Catholics, such as Agustinus Adisoetjipto (1947) (his name become the name of Yogyakarta International Airport, Adisutjipto Airport), Ignatius Slamet Riyadi (1945), and Yos Soedarso (1961).

[edit] The post-independence era

The first Indonesian (arch)bishop to be made the first Indonesian cardinal was Justinus Kardinal Darmojuwono on 29 June 1967. Indonesian Roman Catholic Church is active in the worldwide Roman Catholic Church. Indonesian Bishop took part in Vatican Council II - Konsili Vatikan II which was on 1962-1965. Pope Paul VI visited Indonesia on 1970, followed in 1989 by Pope John Paul II. The places that were visited were Jakarta (capital of Indonesia), Medan (North Sumatra), Yogyakarta (DI Yogyakarta), cities of Central Java province, Maumere (Flores), and Dili (Timor Timur), which is now part of East Timor.

The current (arch)bishop of "Keuskupan Agung Jakarta" (translated as Archbishopric of Jakarta), and also Indonesia's current and only Cardinal is Julius Darmaatmadja, styled Julius Kardinal Darmaatmadja SJ. He took part in conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

[edit] Demographics

According to the 1998 census the adherents in Indonesia consist of Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 2%, Hindu 3%, Buddhist 1%, other 1%.

The Constitution guarantees of religious freedom apply to the five religions recognized by the state, namely Islam (87%), Protestantism (5%), Catholicism (2%), Hinduism (3%) and Buddhism (2%), and In some remote areas, animism is still practiced.

[edit] References

[edit] General

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

• Religion in Indonesia
• Demographics of Indonesia

This article should be translated (or additional material should be added) from material at id:Gereja Katolik di Indonesia. See also Wikipedia:Translation