SW News: The surprise Christmas Day visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bogor, East Java, was a kind act that echoed the message of religious tolerance promoted by Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs all year long, including on Christmas Day.

At the conclusion of the Christmas service, Joko walked up to the altar and greeted the congregation and the priests. In addition, as Fr. Yohanes Supporto, the vicar general of the diocese of Bogor, pointed out, this is the first time an Indonesian president has visited the church. The cathedral is just a few hundred meters away from the weekend residence of the president.

The president addressed a crowd of 1,000 believers, saying "Catholic citizens are a part of the solution to social unrest and must work together to ensure it is not repeated." By coming together as a nation, we can better foster mutually respectful relationships with all segments of society, he said, adding that "To everyone, best wishes for the holiday season."

According to the priest, the president's Christmas greetings were powerful and a great Christmas "gift." At the parish church of St. Bernadette Pinang in Tangerang, in the province of Banten, scores of activists of the Islamic movement GusDurian, both men and women wearing hijabs, approached the altar in the late afternoon on Christmas Day to send their Christmas greetings, shocking the devout.

As a show of respect, the Muslim community gave flowers to the church's ministers and singers. In light of reports that residents of St. Bernadette Pinang waited more than 32 years for their own church, the fact that construction is reaching the 80% threshold is a particularly meaningful show of support.