Jakarta (AsiaNews) - During the weeks of Advent, the spirit of spreading the 'virus of love and compassion' is moving Indonesian Catholics to help fellow Indonesians, especially those who are less fortunate or living situations of hardship and poverty. Thus, by promoting good deeds and helping others, they prepare for the feast day of Christmas.
The initiatives vary. Some parishes have set up mobile health clinics that provide free check-ups; others are preparing a Christmas lunch for orphans and abandoned children. Still in others, blood drives are being organised to raise awareness among people in a country (and a continent) where people are still reticent about giving blood.
Over the years, Indonesian Catholics have come to promote initiatives in favour of the neediest in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Among them, the slogan 'Spread the virus of love' has turned into a growing movement and concrete projects, which they have developed with enthusiasm and participation.
In Mary Immaculate Parish in Slawi, in the Diocese of Purwokerto (Central Java), Catholics set up an open market on 8 December to celebrate the feast day of the Immaculate, handing out basic necessities to the needy. They also provided people a free, two-wheel shuttle service and cleaned up the streets.
On the same day, the faithful in Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Brebes, also in the Diocese of Purwokerto, set up a mobile centre for blood donations. People could thus overcome their fear about donating blood, said a seminarian, and thus live "for the first time" an experience of love and dedication to others.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Jakarta is preparing a big bash for Christmas Day, including a Christmas Thanksgiving Lunch at the St Vincent Catholic orphanage in Karma, in the city centre.
Backed by various associations and organisations from outside the archdiocese, like the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Love Humanity Devotional Group (Kelompok Bakti Kasih Kemanusiaan or KBKK), the initiative is aimed at giving more than a thousand children a moment of celebration through food, games and entertainment.
For Fr Sulpicius Parjono, priest at the Santa Teresa Parish Church in Majenang in the Diocese of Purwokerto, Advent is a time when people can live their faith more deeply and participate in the mission of the Church, especially among families. With this mind, the parish is sponsoring a number of spiritual retreats and moments of prayer so as to involve the entire local Christian community.
Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million, or 3 per cent of the population. In the Archdiocese of Jakarta, the faithful represent 3.6 per cent of the population.
Although the country's constitution recognises religious freedom, Catholics have been the victims of violence and abuse, especially in areas where extremist visions of Islam are entrenched, like in Aceh.
Still, Catholics are an active component in society and have contributed to the nation's development as well as to emergency operations when they arise, as was the case in last January's devastating flood.