C

hristians across Indonesia celebrated Christmas on Thursday in different ways, although some could not conduct celebrations in their churches.

In Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, some congregations conducted their Christmas services in subdistrict halls as their churches were sealed.

'€œWe are concerned because there are still pressures from intolerant groups that we cannot hold our Christmas service in church,'€ said Christiono Riyadi of the Gunungkidul Christian Church Cooperation Body, Thursday.

He said two churches, namely the Indonesian Evangelical Christian Church (GKII) in Balong subdistrict and the Indonesian Pentecost Church (GPI) in Semanu, had been sealed since May 2014 and since two years ago, respectively.

As a result, the 40 person congregation of GKII had to hold their Christmas mass at the Jepitu subdistrict hall while those of the GPI held their mass at Semanu subdistrict hall on Thursday morning.

The same was also experienced by the congregation of the Pentecost Church in Pangukan, Sleman, as their church was still sealed by the regency administration.

'€œWe have celebrated Christmas on Dec. 21 at a convention building,'€ the church'€™s priest Nico Lomboan said.

At Santo Thomas Church, Seyegan, Sleman, the Christmas mass was carried out with Javanese cultural nuances; the mass was done in the Javanese language and with traditional Javanese costumes.

'€œThis is our way of preserving Javanese culture and passing it on to the younger generation,'€ Father Juventius Desi Setiawan Pr of the church'€™s parish council said.

In Ganjuran, Bantul regency, the Christmas service was observed by hundreds of children carrying gifts to be further distributed to orphanages.

In Semarang, Central Java, Christmas services were conducted since Wednesday evening until Thursday afternoon.

A bomb threat marred the masses at the cathedral on Jl. Dr Sutomo, but after searching the whole compound of the church the police found nothing. The mass on Wednesday evening run smoothly under the police security guard.

'€œWe apply a top alert status,'€ Semarang city police chief Comr. Djihartono said.

The police tightly guarded the 291 churches throughout Semarang from Wednesday to Thursday.

Apart from the police, boy scouts and members of the Nahdlatul Ulama'€™s youth wing Ansor Youth Movement also helped secure Christmas celebrations in the province together with the police and military personnel.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and his staff joined the Christmas masses at the cathedral, Blenduk Christian Church and a number of other churches on Wednesday evening.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, thousands of Catholic and Protestant congregations celebrated Christmas by joining the services held on Wednesday and Thursday, under light rain all over the city.

At the cathedral, the biggest Catholic church in Makassar, congregations prayed for the safety of the nation and especially of those who had been victims of natural disasters.

'€œWe pray that our brothers and sisters who have been victims of natural disasters are blessed with safety and strength,'€ Bishop John Likuada of the Makassar Archdiocese said.

He also prayed for the country'€™s unity despite differences in religions as well for the world'€™s peace especially for the Middle East that was in war. '€œHopefully the Christmas peace can also be felt by our brothers and sisters there,'€ John said.