Indonesia

Several kingdoms rose and fell in what is now Indonesia beginning in the 7th Century.  Some of these kingdoms were Hindu and others Buddhist.  Between the 7th and 13th Centuries, there is evidence of small Catholic communities on the islands of Java and Sumatra, but these died out.  Islam came to northern Sumatra in the 13th Century and spread to Java.  The first Europeans—Portuguese traders—came to Indonesia in 1512.  The Dutch established the Dutch East India Company in 1602 which dominated Indonesia for the next 200 years after which Indonesia became a Dutch colony.  After Japanese occupation during the Second World War, Indonesia began to fight for its independence, which the Netherlands granted in 1949.

The Portuguese began evangelization in Indonesia and St. Francis Xavier spent over a year there.  Within a hundred years, Catholicism was strong on some islands.  However, the Dutch took effective control of Indonesia in 1602 and discouraged Catholic evangelization in favor of Protestant evangelization.  Conditions eventually improved to the point that the Church was able to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Batavia in 1807.  Indonesia has 267 million people—87 percent are Muslim, 7 percent are Protestant, and 3 percent are Catholic.

This blog will cover all ten Catholic ecclesiastic provinces in Indonesia—Ende, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Medan, Merauke, Palembang, Pontianak, Samarinda, and Semarang.  A military diocese was established in 1949.

 

Province of Jakarta

The province consists of the Capital Region of Jakarta and the civil provinces of Banten and West Java on the Island of Java.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Jakarta was created as the Apostolic Prefecture of Batavia in 1807, became an apostolic vicariate in 1841, and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1961. 

St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Jakarta was built between 1891 and 1901 in a Gothic Revival style.  It replaced an 1829 church building.  The Cathedral is made of red brick and plaster to resemble stone work.  The roof is supported with teak beams and the façade has a statue of Our Lady and a rose window.  The Cathedral has three towers and the two tallest rise to almost 200 feet.  One tower has a bell and clocks.  The main altar was made in the Netherlands in the 19th Century and was installed in the Cathedral in 1956.  The wooden pulpit was made in 1905 and is carved with religious themes.  The pipe organ was made in Belgium in 1988.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Bandung was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1932, became an apostolic vicariate in 1941, and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Bogor created as an apostolic prefecture in 1948 and became a diocese in 1961.

Province of Ende

The province consists of the civil provinces of Bali and West Nusa Tenggara in the Lesser Sunda Islands.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ende began as an apostolic prefecture in 1913, became an apostolic vicariate in 1922, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1961. 

The Cathedral of Christ the King in Ende was constructed between 1930 and 1932 in a mixture of Neo-Gothic and traditional architecture styles.  The Cathedral has a tower topped with a cross.  Inside is a statue of Christ the King.

Pictures are from TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Larantuka was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1951 and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Ruteng was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1951 and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Denpasar was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1950 and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Maumere was created in 2005.
• The Diocese of Labuan Bajo was created in 2024.

Province of Makassar

The province consists of 8 civil provinces in Sulawesi and Maluku.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Makassar was established in 1937 as an apostolic prefecture.  It became an apostolic vicariate in 1948 and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1961.

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Makassar was originally built between 1898 and 1900, but was renovated and expanded between 1939 and 1941.  It is the oldest church in the region and has six weekend masses. 

From a blog.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Amboina was created as the Apostolic Prefecture of Dutch New Guinea in 1902 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1920.  This became the Diocese of Amboina in 1961.
• The Diocese of Manado was created as the Apostolic Prefecture of Celebes in 1919 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1934.  This became the Diocese of Manado in 1961.

Province of Medan

The province consists of the civil provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, and West Sumatra on the Island of Sumatra.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Medan began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Sumatra in 1911, became the Apostolic Vicariate of Padang in 1932, and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Medan in 1961.

St. Mary’s (Immaculate Conception) Cathedral in Medan was built in 1905, but was renovated in 1928 in a Dutch Colonial style.  The Cathedral has one tower and can hold 2,000 worshippers.  See katedralmedan.or.id.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last is from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Padang was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1952 and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Sibolga was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1959 and became a diocese in 1980.

Province of Pontianak

The province consists of the civil province of West Kalimantan.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pontianak began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Dutch Borneo in 1905, became an apostolic vicariate in 1918, and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pontianak in 1961.  St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Pontianak was built in 2014 and is administered by the Capuchins.

The first three pictures are from a local website and the last is from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Sintang was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1948, became an apostolic vicariate in 1956, and a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Ketapang was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1954 and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Sanggau was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1968 before becoming a diocese in 1982.

Province of Semarang

The province consists of the civil provinces of Central Java, East Java, and the Special Region of Yogyakarta on the Island of Java.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Semarang was established in 1940 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1961.  The Cathedral of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, in Semarang, was built in 1927.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Malang was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1927, became an apostolic vicariate in 1939, and a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Purwokerto was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1932, became an apostolic vicariate in 1941, and a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Surabaya was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1928, became an apostolic vicariate in 1941, and a diocese in 1961.

Province of Merauke

The province consists of the civil provinces of Papua and West Papua on the Island of New Guinea.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Merauke began as an apostolic vicariate in 1950 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1966.  St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is in Merauke. 

From a local news source.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Jayapura was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1949, became an apostolic vicariate in 1954, and a diocese in 1966.
• The Diocese of Manokwari-Sorong was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1959 and became a diocese in 1966.
• The Diocese of Agats was created in 1969.
• The Diocese of Timika was created in 2003.

Province of Kupang

The province consists of the civil province of East Nusa Tenggara in the Lesser Sunda Islands.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kupang was established as a diocese in 1967 before being promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1989.  Christ the King Cathedral in Kupang was built in the last century.  

Both pictures are from a local blog.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Atambua was created in as the Apostolic Vicariate of Dutch Timor in 1936 and became the Diocese of Atambua in 1961.
• The Diocese of Weetebula was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1959 and became a diocese in 1969.

Province of Samarinda

The province consists of the civil provinces of North, South, East, and Central Kalimantan.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Samarinda was created in 1955, became a diocese in 1961, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 2003.  St. Mary’s Cathedral is in Samarinda.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Banjarmasin was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1938, became an apostolic vicariate in 1949, and a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Palangkaraya was created in 1993.
• The Diocese of Tanjung Selor was created in 2002.

Province of Palembang

The province consists of the civil provinces of Bangka Belitung Islands, Bengkulu, Jambi, Lampung, and South Sumatra on the Island of Sumatra.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palembang began as an apostolic prefecture in 1923, became an apostolic vicariate in 1939, and a diocese in 1961, before being promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 2003.  St. Mary’s Cathedral is in Palembang.

From Flickr.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Pangkal-Pinang was established in 1923 as an apostolic prefecture, became an apostolic vicariate in 1951 and a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Tanjung-Karang was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1952 and was promoted to a diocese in 1961.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also missionary territories below the level of a diocese, which include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures.