Mathias Hariyadi

At least 12 graves were desecrated. The offenders’ young age is a source of concern. The motives for the desecration are not yet known, but radical indoctrination in school has not been ruled out. The city’s mayor expressed his solidarity, but local Christians are bitter.

City authorities revoked the building permit 10 years ago. Since then, the Indonesian Christian Church has been embroiled in a legal battle to reclaim the building. Last Sunday, Bogor Mayor Bima announced that a new plot of land had been offered to settle the issue, but Christians want court rulings to be respected.

Cases are on the rise in the cities of Kudus and Bangkalan. Experts say the causes lie in the violation of health protocols and in the spread of variants. At present 90% of ICU places are filled. The central government is considering a lockdown until the end of the month.

Archbishop Mandagi said that he was the intended victim in two attempts this year. The police arrested 11 people, most likely linked to the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah terrorist network. Last Sunday, they had planned to set off bombs at the local cathedral, like the Palm Sunday attack in Makassar.

The history of Dutch missionaries is at the heart of a book by Mathias Hariyadi. Between 1949 and 2003, the nuns served in Kalimantan, one of West Borneo’s remotest areas. The health and educational facilities they build are a precious contribution to the local Church.

A Sumatran school expelled a 17-year-old student for releasing a video in which she "humiliated" Palestinians. An investigation opened against a cleaner in West Nusa Tenggara for a similar reason. The misperception of a "war" between Christians and Muslims in the violence in Palestine. Maximum government and army alert.

Due to the pandemic, the event was celebrated online. “We officially launched a new plan called Komsoslympics, aimed at gaining new followers for the PKSN in our society and it really works,” said Fr Antonio Steven Lalu, executive secretary of the Social Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia,

Two of them, mother and son, were beheaded. The local Christian community is calling on the government to catch the culprits. The chief of the local Protestant Synod notes that the East Indonesia Mujahideen are a small group, and the government should have defeated them already.

Like last year, the traditional exodus associated with Eid celebration has been banned. Checkpoints and roadblocks have been set up across the country. More than 6,700 “mudikers” have been tested. Indonesia so far has reported 1.7 million cases, but the actual number is likely to be 10 times those admitted by the authorities. People move at night to avoid checkpoints.

Simon, a member of Christ the King parish in Pejompongan (Central Jakarta), is behind the initiative. During Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer, donations drop creating supply shortages. Veronica and Simon of Cyrene in the Way of the Cross are the inspiration for the initiative to benefit the Diocese of Agats, one of the country’s poorest areas.

Local political officials and Catholic leaders are seriously concerned that Jakarta's hard-line approach will not produce positive results nor solve the problem in the short term. For the governor, it will have a negative economic, social and political impact. Fr Marthen Kuayo calls for dialogue and everyone’s commitment.

This follows the latest violent incidents. On Sunday a regional intelligence chief was killed in an ambush; on Tuesday, a policeman died in a gunfight. President Widodo orders a manhunt. Critics say the decision will have unpredictable “consequences”.