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Christianity in Indonesia is a minority religion. About 5.85 % of the population of Indonesia are Protestants and about 3 % are Catholics.
Christians were already present in modern day Indonesia in the 10th to 11th century.[1] Protestantism was first introduced by the Dutch in the sixteenth century, resulting in Calvinist and Lutheran influence. The first Roman Catholics arrived in 1534, in the Maluku islands. They were Portuguese that were sent for exploration. Francis Xavier, a Roman Catholic missionary and co-founder of the Jesuit Order worked in the Maluku islands from 1546 to 1547. Julius Darmaatmadja is the only current cardinal in Indonesia. He is the archbishop of Jakarta.
In the 1960s due to anti-Communist and anti-Confucian legislation many Communists and Chinese claimed to be Christians. Christians are under a level of pressure in several areas with an Islamic majority, such as Aceh, West Java and South Sulawesi, but Christians in Indonesia are more free to practice their religion compared to several countries such as China, Malaysia, and some Arab countries. In Papua and North Sulawesi provinces Protestants form the majority of the population. Large populations of Christians are also found around Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Tana Toraja inland, and Maluku.
Even after the Muslim-Christian conflict in the Moluccas has subsided, Christians are victims of minor, but regular attacks by radical Muslim organizations such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).[2]
References
See also
- Religion in Indonesia
- Roman Catholicism in Indonesia
- Protestantism in Indonesia
- Freedom of religion in Indonesia
- Islam in Indonesia
External links
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