Indonesian Bishops Plan Papua Assembly to Foster Peace and Dialogue
“Listening closely is the first step towards peace,” said Father Alexandro Rangga OFM, Franciscan friar and Director of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office for West Papua Province.
The Indonesian Bishops’ Conference announced plans to hold its annual assembly in Papua in 2027, marking a direct pastoral shift toward a region marked by long-standing conflict. The decision followed the conclusion of the conference’s 2026 gathering in Jakarta, which ran from November 4 to 10 under the theme of economic justice and environmental protection.
Church leaders plan to travel to the region to meet local communities and examine ongoing challenges firsthand. “The presence of the Bishops in Papua will be a great sign of hope,” Rangga told the Fides News Agency. “The Church wants to listen directly, not just from a distance,” Father Alexandro Rangga OFM, Franciscan friar and Director of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office for West Papua Province, told Fides News Agency.
The upcoming 2027 meeting builds on a series of recent interventions by religious bodies regarding the western part of New Guinea. In July 2026, the Bishops joined seven major Christian denominations under the Indonesian Christian Community Forum to address what they termed a structural humanitarian crisis, urging authorities to prioritize dialogue over force.
Christian leaders subsequently called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the territory and conduct an independent assessment of civilian displacement and violence.
“This is not simply an administrative meeting,” Father Alexandro Rangga OFM, Franciscan friar and Director of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office for West Papua Province, told Fides News Agency.
Environmental concerns have also driven recent advocacy efforts by the conference. On October 29, Church leaders urged authorities to restore forests damaged by fires rather than clear the land for commercial plantations, tying ecological protection directly to the survival of indigenous populations. Lay associations organized under the Indonesian Catholic Society Forum have established a five-year program running from 2026 to 2031, which includes a dedicated task force focused on defending indigenous rights in the region.
Papua’s political status has remained disputed since the end of Dutch colonial administration.
Under the 1962 New York Accords, control of the territory shifted temporarily to the United Nations before transferring to Indonesia. A 1969 consultation known as the Act of Free Choice resulted in unanimous integration into Indonesia, though the vote involved only a small group of representatives selected by authorities, leaving local self-determination demands unresolved.
Armed separatist groups and security forces have clashed intermittently in the decades since, while state-backed development projects, natural resource extraction, and migration from other islands have fueled local grievances over marginalization and poverty.
Rangga reported that daily activities in Jayapura continue normally, though reports of displacement persist in the central highlands. The Franciscan JPIC office continues to assist affected residents, run peace education programs in parishes, and maintain dialogue with village leaders.
Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin OSC, President of the Bishops’ Conference, emphasized that these commitments must translate into active pastoral work across dioceses and cooperation with local authorities. The 2027 assembly will convene in Papua to foster direct contact between church leadership, government officials, and residents.