Jakarta – The Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) and the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) say they have accepted Tempo magazine's apology for its cover depicting a satirical version of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper and consider the controversy over.
The two influential Christian organizations said a lawsuit against the magazine was unnecessary.
On Friday, a Christian youth group filed a police complaint against the magazine for blasphemy. The Alliance of Christian Students and Youths (AMPK) reported Tempo to the Jakarta Police.
The lawsuit was lodged despite Tempo issuing an apology over the controversial cover, which the magazine said had not been intended to offend the Christian community.
KWI executive Benny Susetyo said the country's Catholic leaders were calling on the public not to blow the issue out of proportion. "The Catholic hierarchy considers the case settled following Tempo's apology," he told The Jakarta Post.
Benny said the police complaint filed Friday did not necessarily represent the desires of the Christian community in the country. PGI secretary-general Richard Maruli said the organization believed a lawsuit against Tempo was too much.
"What's the use of such a lawsuit? Tempo has already apologized, not only through their media outlets, but also to the Christian community, like PGI, through formal letters," he told the Post on Saturday.
He acknowledged the PGI had received numerous complaints about the magazine cover, but said that as a religious institution, it had the responsibility to maintain peace in society.
"A harsh reaction is not necessary. What the PGI has done is send a letter to Tempo, asking the management not to repeat the same mistake in the future," Richard said.
"According to our faith, God doesn't need defense from His children and churches, so we don't have to feel like we have to defend Him."
Commenting on the police complaint lodged by the AMPK, Richard said youth groups were often aggressive and that there were any number of reasons for their reaction, including the desire to boost their profile.
Media observer Ignatius Haryanto from the Institute for Press and Development Studies said any court case against the magazine would be weak.
"We're talking about an illustration on a magazine cover, which has multiple interpretations. It could either be appreciated or protested, depending on people's perceptions," said the former Tempo reporter.
Ignatius said the cover, which depicted the late former president Soeharto having dinner with his six children, did not offend him as a Catholic. "The painting itself isn't part of Christian doctrine. There have been many other satirical versions of the painting," he said. (dia)