Tolerance During Friday Prayers at Istiqlal Alongside Good Friday at the Cathedral
Muslims and Christians in Jakarta demonstrated a spirit of religious tolerance during the Friday prayers at Istiqlal Mosque, which coincided with the commemoration of Good Friday at the Cathedral Church. Both worship activities proceeded solemnly and in close proximity.
Bambang (55), a resident of Bogor, performed his Friday prayers at Istiqlal Mosque. He stated that he had no issue with the two worship services occurring simultaneously.
“From what I’ve seen on my way here, it’s all calm and peaceful. We’re just carrying out our respective worship,” said Bambang when met at Istiqlal on Friday (3/4/2026).
Bambang’s family also includes members of different faiths. Tolerance has been instilled in his family.
“Because my family also has Christians, we just respect each other,” he added.
Meanwhile, Nata, a congregant at the Cathedral Church, said the worship atmosphere was solemn and conducive. He performed the Good Friday service calmly.
“Actually, the atmosphere here is very peaceful,” said Nata.
He expressed delight with the Good Friday worship that day. According to him, Muslims and Catholics can carry out their respective worship.
“How to describe it, I’m very happy because on this Friday, we can still worship peacefully, and the Friday prayers are also proceeding smoothly. So, the tolerance around this area is quite good,” Nata explained.
Thousands of Congregants Attend Good Friday Service
Thousands of congregants filled the Cathedral Church in Jakarta to participate in the Good Friday observances. The atmosphere felt solemn for those present.
The Good Friday mass began at 12:00 WIB. Hymns were chanted.
The first mass was led by Father Yusup Edi Muljono SJ. Congregants filled nearly the entire church area, including the tent provided outside the Cathedral Church in Jakarta.
Even though they were outside, the congregants followed the mass solemnly via screens and loudspeakers. They continued the worship sequence calmly.
Creative Stations of the Cross Performance
The Cathedral Church in Jakarta also held Good Friday celebrations as part of Holy Week. There was a ‘Creative Stations of the Cross’ performance commemorating the suffering and death of Jesus Christ as the opening.
The ‘Creative Stations of the Cross’ performance started at 08:50 WIB before the worship service. The performance began with singing, followed by a drama enactment.
From the morning, congregants had already gathered outside the Cathedral Church awaiting the performance. The atmosphere was solemn, with congregants watching the performance attentively.
“This is in the form of musical drama and dance, of course directed by young people named Yogi Tanowo, and there is also a choreographer. Then also a music arranger,” said spokesperson for the Cathedral Church Jakarta, Susyana Suwadie, to reporters at the Cathedral Church in Central Jakarta, on Friday (3/4/2026).
Susyana explained that this Good Friday invites congregants to reflect on and commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus. In this event, Jesus was crucified to redeem the sins of humanity.
“Of course, it can uplift and invite all the faithful into the journey of faith, so they can truly understand the day of Christ’s suffering and death,” she clarified.