Indonesia: Building two places of worship side by side symbolizes cultural-based tolerance

A Divine Word priest built and inaugurated the chapel of St. Bonefasius and the Nurhidayah Mosque in Compang village, West Manggarai Regency, Flores, Indonesia. 

The construction of these places of worship aimed to strengthen the faith of the people and make it easier for people of different faiths to get along with each other, said Divine Word Father Bonefasius Buahendri.

The mosque and chapel, which are separated by around 400 meters, were opened on August 18. 

"The initial motivation for the construction of the two adjacent places of worship was because the location of the Compang village was remote from the city and as a result, people were in dire need of worship facilities," Father Buahendri told RVA News.

"And it is no coincidence that there are two groups of people in Compang village, namely Muslims and Catholics, so that people can carry out their worship well even though they are far from the city and the worship centers because the village is a mountainous area in West Manggarai," he said.

Father Buahendri was mainly in charge of getting money from people in Indonesia and Australia so that the two places of worship could be built. 

He came from the town of Compang on the island of Flores and had served as a missionary in Australia for 24 years.

At the ceremony of thanksgiving for the successful construction of the two places of worship, Father Buahendri stated that the two places of worship were symbols and models of harmonious tolerance based on the indigenous culture of Indonesia and Flores, which is predominately Catholic and could serve as examples for other villages or regions in the country.

"Tolerance cannot be discussed solely on a scientific level, through seminars or conferences, but must be rooted in the community's culture. Tolerance must be based on culture and respect for culture because cultural values shape a person's character before religious principles," he said. "Religious tolerance must be grounded in culture and grassroots community cooperation. This is genuine tolerance."  

Dorotea Daul, a Catholic who resided in the community, stated that the construction of the two houses of worship exemplified a high level of tolerance and was an effort to make people more appreciative of their faith.

"The creation of two places of worship side by side is a symbol of tolerance. The creation of these two places of worship disregards the fact that both Catholics and Muslims have trouble worshipping due to the great distance between the places of worship. The goal of the construction of this chapel and mosque in Compang hamlet is to improve the appreciation of faith among members of the two religions," said Daul.

Abdul Malik, a Muslim from the village, was happy that the two places of worship were built.

"We are pleased that these two places of worship are being built at the same time. We pray that the people of both religions will keep these two places of worship and grow closer to God.

The town of Compang is 22 km away from Labuan Bajo, which is the capital of the West Manggarai regency on the island of Flores. 

Flores Island is the starting point for trips to the Komodo and Rinca Islands, where the famous Komodo dragons live. More than 87% of the Catholic population lives on Flores Island. - Kasmir Nema