Pope to Indonesia: Ensure Christians Full Religious Freedom

In one more of a continuing series of admonitions concerning religious freedom, Pope Benedict XVI asked the Government of Indonesia to ensure that its Catholic minority and other Christians receive full religious freedom.

VATICAN CITY (UCAN) - Pope Benedict XVI has called on Indonesia's government to exercise "constant vigilance" to ensure its minority Catholic community and other Christians full religious freedom in their homeland.

In his address on Nov. 12 welcoming Ambassador Suprapto Martosetomo, the pope warned that "the phenomenon of international terrorism" is today "one of the gravest threats to Indonesia's cherished ideal of national unity."

Martosetomo, 53, Indonesia's new ambassador to the Holy See, presented his credentials that day and conveyed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's good wishes.

The ambassador told the pope that during the past decade, Indonesia "has entered a new phase of democracy in every aspect of life" seeking to attain "good governance and carry out reforms in the economic, social, political and judicial fields."

In response, the 80-year old pontiff said the "noble goals of democracy and social harmony" enshrined in Indonesia's constitution and national ideology of Pancasila (five principles) demand "resolute efforts to discern and work for the common good, and the cooperation of all political and social groups."

This is "indispensable for overcoming the forces of polarization and conflict," for renewing economic life and for consolidating a democratic order in which community and individual rights are fully respected, he stated.

While emphasizing the threat of international terrorism, Pope Benedict praised Indonesia's government for "condemning terrorist violence, under whatever pretext it occurs, as a criminal offence which, by its contempt for life and freedom, undermines the very foundations of society."

He added, "This is particularly the case when the holy name of God is invoked as a justification for such acts."

The Church, he said, "unequivocally condemns the manipulation of religion for political ends, while urging the application of international humanitarian law in every aspect of the fight against terrorism."

Indonesia, with its population of 217 million people, is "a multireligious country with the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world," the pope noted, and it is playing an "important and positive role in promoting interreligious cooperation" at home and abroad.

"Dialogue, respect for the convictions of others, and collaboration in the service of peace are the surest means of securing social accord," he stressed.

Pope Benedict hailed "the growing instances of cooperation between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia, aimed particularly at the prevention of ethnic and religious conflicts in the most troubled areas," calling this "a promising development."

Martosemoto, agreeing with the pope, pointed out that despite having the largest Muslim population of any country, "Indonesia is not an Islamic country." On the contrary, he continued, one of the Pancasila principles guarantees an individual's freedom of worship.

Asserting that harmony has long prevailed in Indonesia among followers of different religions, the ambassador maintained that "the conflicts that lately broke out in some regions of the country were not strictly based on religious difference as generally claimed." They were "the results of actions by some provocateurs" who wanted to disrupt the prevailing harmony, he said, and took place only "in a few circumscribed regions" of the vast archipelago.

The pope did not bring up that many of those conflicts pitted Christian against Muslims, but he pointed out that Indonesia's Catholics are "a small minority." Church sources count close to 6.5 million Catholics, or about 3 percent of the population.

They "desire to participate fully in the life of the nation" by contributing to its material and spiritual progress, the pope said, citing in particular "their network of educational and health institutions" that serve people "regardless of religion" and promote "authentic civic progress."

He acknowledged the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom, but reminded the Indonesian government that "the protection of this fundamental human right calls for constant vigilance on the part of all."

The pope expressed confidence that Indonesia's recent accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights would help "to further consolidate the freedom and legitimate autonomy of individual Christians and their institutions."

He also hoped Indonesia would contribute to global peace and concern for integral development through its current role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Pope Benedict concluded by invoking God's blessing on the new ambassador, his family and "all the beloved Indonesian people."

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Republished by Catholic Online with permission of the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News), the world's largest Asian church news agency (www.ucanews.com).