Mathias Hariyadi

The Church has undertaken various initiatives across the country, in Java Kalimantan, Maluku, and Yogyakarta. In Semarang, the imam is moved by the unexpected visit of the archbishop. “In mutual love for the nation, we find the same God who created all of us," he said.

The group of four hit men and two organisers sought to undermine President Widodo’s leadership ahead of the riots of 21 and 22 May. Two ministers, the intelligence chief, a presidential advisor and an important pollster were the targets.

The nine-judge panel will rule on charges of irregularities and systematic fraud. Expert believes “The Constitutional Court will certainly ignore Subianto’s allegations, like in 2014." Many Indonesians blame him for instigating this week’s street riots. On social media, the #ArrestPrabowo hashtag has been trending.

President Widodo promises "zero tolerance" towards the rioters. Hundreds of people have been arrested throughout the capital. The authorities impose restrictions on social media, to prevent the spread of fake news. The bishops: "Concerned about the lack of national unity".

Yesterday, two major protests were held in the centre of the capital: one ended peacefully, the other in clashes. Security forces arrested 58 people, suspected of being troublemakers. The rioters are not from Jakarta, but from the provinces of Banten, Central Java and West Java. Law enforcement agencies warn against fake news.

The Electoral Commission publishes the official results of the April elections. There is a difference of 10% in votes between the incumbent president and the challenger Prabowo Subiato. The opposition denounces fraud: it will present a complaint to the Constitutional Court. The organizers of the "people's power" campaign say that today and tomorrow, more than one million people will take to the streets to protest.

Hundreds of Catholics participated in the 2019 Fruitful Business conference, centred on ‘Searching for the wisdom of God in a disruptive era’. The conference saw 22 leading Catholic figures share their experience as professionals and believers with participants.

The winner in last month’s presidential race between incumbent President Joko Widodo and challenger Prabowo Subianto will be announced on 22 May. So far, 82.35 per cent of the votes have been counted with the moderate Widodo leading by 15 million votes. Supported by right-wingers and extremists, Prabowo said he would not accept "deceptive results". Meanwhile, the authorities have deployed the military across the capital.

As celebrities try to cast off what seems un-Islamic, their journeys of spiritual purification draw millennials. Social media are an effective marketing tool even for extremists.

The proposal by the Tourism Bureau in Labuan Bajo has been met with harsh criticism. The town is part of the Diocese of Ruteng, where about 90 per cent of the population is Catholic. Sandiaga Uno, an Islamist-backed businessman-cum-politician, is behind the idea of Wisata Halal. For Bishop San, "The idea dishonours the pluralism of Indonesian society."

Archbishop Agus wants to create opportunities for Catholics in uniform to meet. He appointed the military chaplain in the Archdiocese of Pontianak for the next three years. "The commitment and good example of the Church” have been “fruitful", said an Armed Forces general.

The apostolic nuncio led the first Mass in the new church. The new cathedral was built on the site of the old one. The latter, whose demolition began in July 2017, could only accommodate 800 people. The new, three-level building can accommodate 1,208 people seated and another 706 on the balcony.