December 24, 2025 | 11:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thousands of people gathered for Christmas Eve mass at Jakarta Cathedral in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. The church held two sessions of mass to accommodate the large crowd.
Susyana Suwadie, Head of Public Relations at Jakarta Cathedral, estimated that around 10,000 congregants attended the service. “It is estimated that around 10,000 people joined the worship,” she said during the celebration.
The cathedral provided 5,000 seats per session, but the crowd overflowed, requiring an additional 500 seats. During the first mass, attendance was estimated at more than 5,500 people.
Several government officials attended the Christmas Eve mass, including Coordinating Minister for Human and Cultural Development Pratikno, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, and Indonesian National Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto.
Other officials present included Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, and Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo. The delegations were welcomed by Jakarta Archbishop Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo.
During his visit, Pratikno conveyed greetings from President Prabowo Subianto to the worshipers. “We are here to convey greetings from the President, and on behalf of the government, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025,” he said.
Pratikno also noted that the President remembered those celebrating Christmas in disaster-affected areas, including Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
He added that the government is committed to supporting the swift recovery of disaster victims by ensuring their protection, meeting daily needs, and restoring damaged infrastructure.
"The government is working tirelessly,” he said.
Read: Minister Pratikno Delivers Prabowo's Greetings at Jakarta Cathedral
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