Jakarta – Religious services for Easter went peacefully on Friday as many Indonesian Christians celebrated Good Friday at churches and houses of worship across the country.
Churchgoers in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, attended mass early in the morning to celebrate the coming of Easter, kompas.com reported Friday. Those attending mass sang hymns along with family members and friends.
At one church, Rev. Makmur delivered a sermon urging every person in attendance to be at the frontlines in the fight against evil on Earth.
Unlike many other places, Polewali Mandar regency did not see a heavy police presence. In Jakarta, for instance, a total of 4,313 police were deployed to secure 1,262 churches in the capital city, while West Java has deployed more than 8,000 officers across the province until Sunday.
Still, churchgoers were able to feel safe commemorating Good Friday, even without heavy protection. People there said the reason they felt safe was because Polewali Mandar has long been known for its inter-religious solidarity and tolerance, which acted like a fortress in protecting religious freedom.
"We are proud and glad that we can commemorate Good Friday peacefully and happily together with our families," one churchgoer, Maria, told kompas.com.
Thousands of people attended services at Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta. Services were performed three times: at 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. with at least 16,000 churchgoers joining the services.
"Sixteen thousand people attended services today [Friday]. The worship went well and we hope it will continue to be that way until the peak on Sunday," said the cathedral's spokeswoman, Graece Tanus.
In 2000, several churches in the country were bombed during Christmas Eve celebrations, including Jakarta Cathedral. Umar Patek, allegedly the mastermind behind a series of bomb attacks around the country, is currently being tried at the West Jakarta District Court.
Several worshippers admitted that they had begun to feel more comfortable about going to church nowadays.
"Honestly, I am still a little bit afraid to go to church. Especially since Jakarta Cathedral was one of those churches targeted on Christmas Eve, 2000," 25-year-old Maria Natalia Laurens told The Jakarta Post.
In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, a number of Catholic churches reenacted the suffering of Jesus through the Stations of the Cross. Youngsters played out the scenes of Christ's suffering. The reenactments left some women and children in the audience in tears, kompas.com reported.
A reenactment was also held at Denpasar Cathedral, Antara news agency reported. At the Indonesian Bethel Church in Denpasar, about 5,000 congregation members watched Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, which portrayed Christ's suffering. They also watched Sunday school students singing and dancing, the news agency reported.
In the Christian tradition, Jesus was captured in the Garden of Olives, after which he was taken to the Roman leader Pontius Pilate. He was tortured and made to carry a cross upon which he was eventually crucified until dead. The crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday. Jesus' resurrection, which took place on the Sunday after Good Friday, is the main Easter holiday.
Apart from religious services, many people are aiming to enjoy the long weekend in a more worldly way. Several hotels in Jakarta, for example, are offering Easter-themed packages, such as games and brunch offerings.
Meanwhile, hotels in Yogyakarta have reported an average occupancy rate of some 80 percent during the long weekend although hotels in strategic locations, especially those located along Jl. Malioboro, are reportedly fully booked.
"For starred hotels, the occupancy rate could reach 100 percent but, on the other hand, some motels have reported only 40 percent," secretary of the Yogyakarta chapter of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association, Deddy Pranawa Eryana, told Antara news agency on Friday. (png/asa)