TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Cathedral held Christmas mass yesterday on the 25th of December 2023, with the theme of "Glory to God and Peace on Earth" (Kemuliaan bagi Allah dan Damai Sejahtera di Bumi). 

Ignatius Suharyo, the Archbishop of Jakarta, explained that the theme was quoted from Lucas 1:14, meaning the glory to God is human living within its purpose as God's creation by prostrating. 

Citing the data from the World Giving Index released by the Charities Aid Foundation, Suharyo mentioned that Indonesia was ranked first as the world's most charitable country of 2023. However, he noted that the social gap in communities is widening.

According to Statistics Indonesia, wage and wealth gaps between citizens of Indonesia are stretched thin. Meanwhile, the rate of stunting in Indonesia reached 21.6 percent for babies under 5 years old, as reported by the National Nutrition Status in 2022.

Suharyo also highlighted the high number of food waste produced in Indonesia which has reached Rp330 trillion in 2022. 

The abovementioned data, Suharyo went on, has affected the education, health, environment, and other sectors pertaining to the livelihood of Indonesians.

The Archbishop urged Catholics to celebrate this Christmas by increasing their concern toward other human beings and love towards their homeland. This refers to the upcoming 2024 general elections. 

Suharyo hopes that leaders who are steadfast in realizing Indonesia's ideals will emerge from the election. "Having integrity, siding with our marginalized brothers and sisters, and having an honorable track record, as well as upholding human dignity," he concluded.

AISYAH AMIRA WAKANG

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