T

o mark religious festivals in the country, many citizens often flock to their respective places of worship to hold prayer.

However, people tend to come to the most iconic places during certain festivals, especially those celebrated only once a year. Jakarta is no different.

As Christmas nears, large and well-known churches in the city are likely to see a huge number of visitors who want to attend Christmas Mass, including Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta.

With a capacity of only 800 people, the cathedral will not be able to accommodate the thousands of people who will likely want to attend the Mass.

To address the problem, the cathedral plans to hold a registration program for the first time ever for those who want to attend.

Jakarta Cathedral parish head Jesuit priest A. Hani Rudi Hartoko said he was concerned about people having to wait for hours to be able to join the Mass and jostling to enter the church once the doors opened.

“They enter the church and scramble to get seats, sometimes falling over. And there are people who ask their maid to save seats [for them]. Those are not good practices,” Hani told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Therefore, the registration only applies to those who want to get seats inside the church. Those who do not register can sit in the church’s hall, located on the second floor, which has a capacity of 600 people; or in the tents outside, which have a capacity of 3,000 people.

By registering, Hani hoped that family members would have a chance to sit next to each other.

“But we’re open for suggestions if there is a better solution to the problem,” he said.

There will be three Masses conducted on Dec. 24, but the last Mass at 10 p.m. does not require registration as it is less crowded than the first Mass at 5 p.m. and the second Mass at 8 p.m, said cathedral spokesperson Susyana Suwandie.

The registration for the first Mass will be conducted on Dec. 18, while registration for the second will be on Dec. 19. Both are open from 12 to 8 p.m.

Registration can be done online via the church’s website, katedraljakarta.or.id, or by going to the church’s hall.

Those who opt to register online only need to fill in a form, while those who go directly to the church have to bring a photocopy of their church membership card. People who do not have the card can bring a photocopy of their identity card (KTP) and family card (KK).

“On average, around 6,000 people join each Christmas Mass. We always prepare extra chairs in case we need them,” Susyana said.

So far, Jakarta Cathedral is the only church that has applied the registration program. Hence, the parish will evaluate it as a trial.

If the program works, it can also be applied during Easter, which is another Mass that many people attend, she added.

Barbara Woro, a member of a Catholic church in East Jakarta who attended Christmas Mass in the cathedral last year, said she did not know about the registration program.

“I don’t know about it, but to me, if you want to attend a Mass, just come,” she said.

Built in the Dutch colonial period, Jakarta Cathedral was inaugurated in 1901 and is the biggest Catholic church in Jakarta, with more than 6,000 members. The church has also become a part of the city’s cultural heritage.