Since the start of 2025, there has been a major social movement in Indonesia. Young people, especially university students, have been the driving force of this movement. They are using the hashtag #indonesiagelap (which translates to “Indonesia going dark”) to show the decline of democratic culture over the last five years. While there have been improvements in infrastructure projects, the Indonesian economy seems to be stagnant. Additionally, there have been predictions of an impending crisis. The government may choose to attribute the decline to international politics and the economic crisis between Ukraine and Russia, but high-profile corruption cases cast doubt on this explanation. For many young people, democracy no longer seems to be working for them.
This has led many young people to call for another movement: “kabur aja duluan” (“run away [from Indonesia] first”). They feel that life in Indonesia is not worth living. They say that the salaries of middle-class workers are not enough to cover the rising cost of living. In my city, Yogyakarta, it is very difficult for young families to buy a house in the city because the prices are so high. While it is true that primary and secondary school fees are free, young families don’t earn enough to make a significant difference in their life.
At the same time, money from Indonesian taxes that should be dispersed to improve basic social services like education, housing, and healthcare has been stolen by people in power. There were two corruption cases related to energy in 2024-2025 that involved around 500 trillion Indonesian rupiahs (equaling 35 billion US dollars). With that same amount of money, we could build a million houses and provide free healthcare for Indonesians for years.
The fact that many young people are considering leaving Indonesia is a sign of hopelessness and an inability to correct the course of government by its own people. Therefore, there is no other alternative than to leave Indonesia if they want to succeed. The government is quick to respond to this movement. Instead of listening to their plea, public officials accused the youth of being unpatriotic for not loving their country enough to help their fellow citizens, especially during tough economic times. Some bureaucrats tried to spread the idea that the country is doing well and that people who disagree are influenced by foreign ideas. In March 2025, the government invited university leaders to talk about how to stop the chaos caused by student protests.
The youth protest movement in Indonesia shows that people have lost hope for a better future. They felt betrayed. When people lose hope, despair is waiting at the door, and if not handled properly, this can lead to a social revolt. Fighting for hope, especially with young people, is a call to action that must be answered by all of us.
The Catholic Church is in a unique position to address this issue, as it coincides with the universal church’s focus on “pilgrims of hope” during the Jubilee year in 2025. Although the Catholic Church in Indonesia is a minority group, making up only 2% of the population, its commitment should not be overlooked. It would be inaccurate to say that the Catholic Church in Indonesia has not been involved in fostering hope. Catholic church in Indonesian is respected for its school, hospital and various social project.
However, it is important to recognize that we place a strong emphasis on interpreting Jubilee year through the lenses of indulgence. While indulgence is part of our Catholic tradition, but this topic is heavily focus on “hope for the afterlife”. There is a lot of excitement about making pilgrimages to different holy doors (porta sancta) even making pilgrimage to Europe and Rome, as if this pilgrimage is a form of insurance on heaven. While this is a good Catholic tradition, it is also crucial to balance this focus on “eternal life” with “hope in this world.” Salvation is not just about what we strive for in the world to come, but also about working towards a better, more fulfilling life here and now. We should not forget vision of Gaudium et Spes “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.”
In Spes Non Confundit, Pope Francis encouraged people to go on pilgrimages during this special year. A pilgrimage to the holy door [porta sancta] is a symbol of personal conversion (no. 5). But don’t forget, Pope Francis also invites all Christians to be a sign of hope. He asks us to promote world peace during conflicts (no. 8), to be spirited and ready for life’s challenges (no. 9), and to be a symbol of hope for those in need, such as prisoners, the sick, migrants, the elderly, and the poor. Spes Non Confundit article 12 clearly states that young people are the embodiment of hope. He says it’s sad to see young people without hope, with an uncertain future, no job or security, or good prospects after school. Without hope, they’ll get discouraged and bored. Pope Francis asks us to care about young people, especially adolescents, students, and young couples. We should be close to the young, because they are the joy and hope of the Church and of the world!”
Pilgrimages cultivate Christian virtues. But, as Paul reminds the Corinthians, “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” and “[love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Our pilgrimage to struggle with the youth to advocate for a hope-filled future is a representation of our love. May be through this commitment we can understand better the mystery of indulgence.