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Indonesian churches call for peace in Gaza, national unity on Christmas
The Jakarta Cathedral promoted the theme Kemuliaan bagi Allah dan damai sejahtera di Bumi (Glory to God and peace on Earth), in line with the Christmas message jointly conveyed by the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI) and the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) last month.
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Churchgoers hold candles during a Christmas Eve service at the GPIB Immanuel protestant church in Jakarta on Dec. 24, 2023. (Antara/Asprilla Dwi Adha)
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hurches across the country called for peace in Gaza and national unity ahead of the 2024 general election as millions of Indonesian Christians celebrated Christmas on Monday.
The Jakarta Cathedral promoted the theme Kemuliaan bagi Allah dan damai sejahtera di Bumi (Glory to God and peace on Earth), in line with the Christmas message jointly conveyed by the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI) and the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) last month.
“I hope that through this message, Christians can support efforts to bring about global peace and work toward protecting our planet,” a spokesperson for the Jakarta Cathedral said on Sunday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Some churches also showed solidarity with Gazans by holding simpler Christmas celebrations that usual. Tanjung Pandan Regina Pacis Parish Church in Bangka Belitung Islands province, for example, refrained from installing giant Christmas trees.
“We want to celebrate a simple Christmas this year,” church secretary Yohannes Djuhan Wijaya said on Monday, as quoted by Antara, adding that the parish was inspired by churches in Bethlehem that had canceled Christmas festivities this year.
Bethlehem, the biblical city in the occupied West Bank where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago, canceled annual Christmas celebrations that normally draw thousands of tourists, AFP reported.
The town settled for just a few festive lights, with a huge Palestinian flag hung in the center of town, with a banner declaring: “The bells of Bethlehem ring for a cease-fire in Gaza”.
