Mosque in Gunung Putri District, West Java Province, Indonesia. (Nur Cholis, Creative Commons)

SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Muslims in West Java Province, Indonesia are demanding closure of a Catholic church, claiming that its renovations for Christmas lack permission, sources said.

A group of 20 Muslims called the Islamic Empowerment and Development Agency (BP2UI), on Dec. 6 called for demolition of the building of St. Vincentius A. Paulo Catholic Church in Tlajung Udik village, Gunung Putri District, Bogor Regency, local media reported.

The protestors unfurled banners reading, “Close and demolish illegal churches,” “Shut down and dismantle churches that manipulate regulations,” “Shut down and dismantle churches that betray the community,” “Shut down and dismantle churches that spread slander,” “Shut down and dismantle churches that incite conflict” and “Shut down and dismantle churches that divide the nation.”

BP2UI spokesman Anhari Sulthoni told media the church’s construction nearly 25 years ago was carried out without adequate coordination with the surrounding community, and that therefore renovations should be stopped until a permit is obtained, NetralNews.com. reported.

The head of the Bogor Regency Religious Affairs Office, Ahmad Sjukri, told media at the protest site that he regretted the demonstration as protestors had attended a Nov. 17 meeting of the Bogor Regency National Unity and Politics Board (Kesbangpol) that confirmed the permit for the church was complete.

“The meeting also concluded that the church’s permit was complete and there were no further issues,” Ahmad said, according to Indonews.id.

At the same time, he said that in a democracy the protestors were free to file a lawsuit with the State Administrative Court regarding the church’s building permit.

The Catholic church rejected the protestors’ allegations. Church attorney Siprianus Edi Hardum told Morning Star News that the church building had legal status with Building Permit (IMB) Number 645.8/182TRB/2000 issued on Dec. 21, 2000.

The establishment of St. Vincentius A. Paulo Church, Edi said, was based on Joint Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs and the Minister of Home Affairs Number 01/BER/MDN-MAG/1969 concerning the Implementation of Government Officials’ Duties in Ensuring Order and the Smooth Implementation of Religious Development and Worship by Its Adherents.

Thus the permit requirements for renovation of the St. Vincentius A. Paolo Church in Gunung Putri did not apply to the separate 2006 Joint Regulations of the Minister of Religious Affairs and the Minister of Home Affairs Number 9 and 8 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Duties of Regional Heads/Deputy Regional Heads in Maintaining Interfaith Harmony, because the building permit (Ijin Mendirikan Bangunan, IMB) was issued in 2000, Edi said.

Article 28, paragraph (1) of the 1969 Joint Decree of the two Ministers states, “Building permits for houses of worship issued by the regional government before the enactment of this Joint Regulation are declared valid and remain in effect,” he noted.

Paragraph (2) of the 1969 decree reads, “Renovations of houses of worship that already have a building permit (IMB) for houses of worship will be processed in accordance with the IMB provisions as long as there is no change of location,” he said.

“So, while we have been renovating in accordance with our IMB, we continue to follow the old regulations as the basis for issuing our IMB,” Edi said.

This provision, he said, aligns with Article 346 paragraph (1) of Government Regulation Number 16 of 2021 concerning the Implementing Regulations of Law Number 28 of 2002 concerning Buildings, which states, “Buildings that have obtained permits issued by the district/city government before this Government Regulation comes into effect shall remain valid.”

Gunung Putri Sub-District Head Kurnia Indra and others online also voiced their regret over the demonstration, asking the government and security forces to not be influenced by Muslim groups opposing the church.

The official website of the Diocese of Bogor, keuskupanbogor.org, which serves as the parent organization of the local Catholic church, observed that St. Vincentius A. Paulo Catholic Church was formerly a station of the Holy Family Parish in Cibinong, Bogor, West Java. The station chapel was constructed on a 1,000-square-meter plot donated by PT. Ferry Sonneville in 1996.

After a lengthy process, the modest church was built on Sept. 1, 2001, with the full support of the surrounding community.

As this year’s Christmas approaches, the church, which now has more than 1,800 members, began renovations on its building.

“However, in early October 2025, while our church renovations were underway, there were rumors from certain individuals claiming that the construction of our church was illegal,” Edi told Morning Star News.

Upon hearing the rumors, Yusuf Ibrahim, head of Tlajung Udik village, invited the Rev. Eko, parish priest of St. Vincentius A. Paolo Gunung Putri, along with several church officials, to a meeting at the Tlajung Udik Village Office on Oct. 10, Edi said.

On Nov. 6, the local government authorized the church to proceed with renovations. On Nov. 8 the Tlajung Udik village head, Yusuf Ibrahim, promised the church that he would provide security and comfort to all religious communities, including the Catholic congregation of St. Vincentius A. Paolo Church. He then announced that a meeting would be held at the Tlajung Udik Village Office.

On Nov. 13, the church received a soft copy of a letter from the Agency for the Development and Empowerment of the Muslim Community (BP2UI) to the Regent of Bogor entitled, “Establishment of an Illegal Church.”

“We believe the contents of the letter are excessive and provocative,” Edi said.

Indonesian society in recent years has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Christian support group Open Doors.

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