Laity object to Papuan prelate’s remarks on church protests

Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke warned that lay groups who regularly protest at churches would “perish”.

The prelate was responding to weekly demonstrations against him for supporting a national food project in eastern Indonesia, which critics fear could cause environmental damage, threaten livelihoods and displace indigenous people.

Archbishop Mandagi described the National Strategic Project, a government-led food and energy programme in South Papua, as a “humanitarian project” that Papuans should support.

This triggered criticism from lay Catholic groups as the project, which began operations in late 2023, includes sugar cane plantation concessions covering more than 560,000 hectares granted to 10 companies, alongside plans to develop millions of hectares of forest, swamp and savanna into rice fields.

Since 2024, lay groups have staged peaceful demonstrations every Sunday at several churches across Papua.

Archbishop Mandagi’s critical remarks about Catholics came during a sermon on April 6 at the inauguration Mass of Santa Maria Fatima Catholic Church in Kelapa Lima, Merauke.

“Do not protest in churches for political, personal or financial reasons,” the archbishop said, stressing that churches are “houses of God” that must be respected. He further warned that “God destroys those who do not respect places of worship”.

The Voice of the Catholic Laypeople of the Papua Region, in an April 8 statement, described Archbishop Mandagi’s stance as “a serious setback to the Church’s pastoral approach” in a region long sensitive to land, environmental and indigenous rights issues.

“The protests stem from concern over the Church’s support for a project that ignores local aspirations and threatens living space and the sustainability of communities,” the group said.

Soleman Itlay, a regular protester in Jayapura, said Archbishop Mandagi speaks about the sanctity of church buildings, “but we question the meaning of sanctity if the land where congregations live is being taken away from them”.

The protests were not directed against the Church itself, but against what protesters see as the political alignment of Church leaders, Mr Itlay told UCA News.

Fr Roy Sugianto of Merauke Archdiocese defended the archbishop’s remarks, saying repeated demonstrations in church courtyards infringed on the rights of worshippers seeking spiritual peace.

FULL STORY

Papuan lay Catholics condemn archbishop’s remarks over church protests (UCA News)