Ministry of Religious Affairs Regrets Incident During Comfort Mass in Depok: Prioritise Dialogue

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has expressed regret over an incident during a comfort mass at a resident’s home in Cipayung, Depok City. Kemenag hopes similar incidents will not recur and invites the entire community to maintain mutual respect among religious believers.

Head of the Public Relations and Public Communication Bureau at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Thobib Al Asyhar, stated that dialogue must be prioritised in resolving issues related to religious activities. ‘We regret the occurrence of this incident. We certainly hope such incidents will not be repeated,’ Thobib told reporters on Wednesday (1/6/2026).

He called on the public to continuously strengthen the spirit of unity by promoting mutual respect amidst diversity. ‘Let us prioritise mutual respect among religious believers and promote productive dialogue in the spirit of unity,’ he said.

Thobib also urged residents who do not understand the religious activities of a particular faith to seek clarification through proper channels. According to him, religious counsellors can serve as parties who provide information and clarification regarding the implementation of religious activities. ‘If there is something not understood regarding the religious activities of a faith, residents can seek clarification or ask for an explanation from the local religious counsellor,’ he stated.

It was previously reported that a viral video recording narrated the prohibition of a comfort mass at a funeral home in Cipayung, Depok City. Police and military personnel intervened and resolved the conflict peacefully. The incident occurred on Sunday (28/6). It began when family and relatives gathered at the funeral home of the late SLS (70) to hold a comfort mass. For context, a comfort mass or requiem mass is a Eucharistic celebration in the Catholic Church offered to pray for the peace of the soul of the deceased while providing spiritual comfort to the bereaved family.

The video narration mentioned that the religious activity was obstructed by local neighbourhood administrators, even though a priest was reportedly present to lead the comfort mass at the funeral home. When asked for confirmation, the Head of Public Relations for the Depok Metro Police, AKP Hendra, said the incident occurred due to a miscommunication between residents and the homeowner. ‘There was a miscommunication initially. A resident who did not know what was happening questioned what event was taking place,’ AKP Hendra told reporters on Tuesday (30/6).