Basement Of Istiqlal Mosque Ready To Be A Parking Place For The Cathedral Church Christmas Mass Congregation

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The management of the Jakarta Cathedral Church has prepared several vehicle parking bags in the area around the church that the congregation can use to attend the 2022 Christmas Mass in person.

"We have prepared a number of parking pockets around the Cathedral Church complex in coordination with a number of parties," said Cathedral Head Pastor Father Hani Rudi Hartoko in Jakarta, Friday, December 23.

The church has coordinated with the Sawah Besar Sector Police regarding the implementation and security of the 2022 Christmas celebration, including the provision of a parking lot for congregational vehicles.

The vehicle parking lot prepared for the Christmas Mass congregation at the Jakarta Cathedral Church includes the Ursula school field, the Istiqlal Mosque basement, the PT Pos Office, to the Army Transportation Briefing (Bekang) area.

"From Istiqlal some time ago, Mr. Imam Besar (Nasaruddin Umar) was ready to help facilitate parking. In the basement (Istiqlal) there were 700 car slots. So an expression of brotherhood that we established," said Father Hani.

He appealed to church congregation members to use cars together considering that the available vehicle parking lot is limited.

"If the family should work together because the parking is limited. Please come together, not one car, it will be difficult in traffic," he said.

The Jakarta Cathedral Church has prepared 2,180 seats for the congregation participating in the 2022 Christmas Mass.

In 2021, when restrictions to control the transmission of COVID-19 are still strictly enforced, the administrators of the Jakarta Cathedral Church will limit the 650 Christmas Mass participants.

Although much more than the previous year, the number of seats prepared for the 2022 Christmas Mass congregation at the Jakarta Cathedral Church is only about half that is usually prepared before the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Circular Letter of the Minister of Religion Number 15 of 2022, congregants who take part in worship activities at the 2022 Christmas Celebration are offline a maximum of 100 percent of the room capacity provided.

The government also allows church administrators to add tents outside the main building area for Christmas celebration purposes after coordinating with the police and the COVID-19 Handling Task Force.

According to government regulations, health protocols must still be carried out in worship activities and the celebration of Christmas 2022.