Recent from talks
Jakarta Cathedral
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Jakarta Cathedral
Jakarta Cathedral (Indonesian: Gereja Katedral Jakarta, Dutch: Kathedraal van Jakarta) is a Latin Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is Gereja Santa Maria Diangkat ke Surga, derived from the original name in Dutch, De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming (English: The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption). This current cathedral was consecrated in 1901 and built in the neo-Gothic style, a common architectural style to build churches at that time. The Jakarta Cathedral is located in Central Jakarta near Merdeka Square and Merdeka Palace. The Istiqlal Mosque is located next to the cathedral.
After the arrival of Dutch East India Company in 1619, the Catholic Church was banned in the Dutch East Indies and was limited to Flores and Timor. The Netherlands was known to support Protestantism and tried to limit the influence and authority of the Holy See. During the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, the Netherlands, including the Dutch East Indies and its other colonies, fell under the control of Revolutionary France and later the French Empire. In 1806, Napoleon installed his Catholic younger brother Louis Napoleon (Dutch: Lodewijk) as the King of Holland. Since then, the Catholic Church has been free to operate in the Dutch East Indies.
The commissioner-general of Batavia, Leonard du Bus de Gisignies (1825–1830), was credited with providing land to build the first Catholic church in Batavia. The former residence of General de Kock in the Weltevredeen area was renovated to be a church. Monseigneur Prinsen blessed and inaugurated the church on 6 November 1829 and named it "Our Lady of the Assumption." The church was renovated in 1859, but collapsed on 9 April 1890.
The present church is the structure that was rebuilt between 1891 and 1901. Pastor Antonius Dijkmans, SJ was appointed as the architect. Construction was halted due to a lack of funding, but the church's new bishop, Mgr E. S. Luypen, SJ, raised the necessary funds in the Netherlands, and architect M.J. Hulswit (1862-1921) resumed construction in 1899. Marius Hulswit simplified Dijkmans' design, allowing it to be built by construction workers without practical training. For that reason he added cast-iron spires to the church. The church portal is inscribed with "Marius Hulswit Architectus erexit me 1899-1901." "De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming - The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption" was blessed and inaugurated by Mgr Edmundus Sybrandus Luypen, SJ on 21 April 1901. The church was renovated between 1988 and 2002.
A tunnel connecting the church and Istiqlal Mosque was constructed between 2020 and 2021.
The plan of the cathedral took the form of a cross with a length of 60 meters and 10 meters wide, plus 5 metres on each aisle. It is a cathedral because it contains the "cathedra", the throne of bishop. The main entrance of the building is facing west. At the trumeau of the main portal stands a statue of Our Lady while on top of the portal there is a quote from the Magnificat: "Beatam Me Dicentes Omnes Generationes" which means "All generations shall call me blessed". Besides, there is a large round stained glass Rozeta Rosa Mystica, which is the symbol of Mother Mary.
There are three main spires in Jakarta Cathedral: the two tallest ones measured 60 metres tall and are located in front on each side of the portal. The north tower is called Turris Davidica, or "Tower of David"—a devotional title of Mary symbolizing Mary as the refuge and protector against the power of darkness. The south tower, also 60 metres tall, is called "The Ivory Tower", which the whiteness and pureness of ivory describe the pureness of the Virgin Mary. On the Ivory Tower, there are old clocks that are still functioning as well as a church bell. The third spire rises above the roof's cross intersection and measured 45 metres tall from the ground, and is called "The Angelus Dei Tower".
The building consists of two floors, the upper floor can be reached from a flight of stairs in the northern tower. Originally, the second floor used to be the place for the choir during masses, but since the cathedral is quite old, there is concern that the building cannot support the weight of too many people upstairs. Today, the upper floor functions as the Jakarta Cathedral Museum, housing the relics of Catholic rituals, such as the silver cups, hats and robes of the Dutch East Indies and Indonesian archbishops and cardinals. The museum also displays the history of the Catholic Church in Indonesia.
Hub AI
Jakarta Cathedral AI simulator
(@Jakarta Cathedral_simulator)
Jakarta Cathedral
Jakarta Cathedral (Indonesian: Gereja Katedral Jakarta, Dutch: Kathedraal van Jakarta) is a Latin Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is Gereja Santa Maria Diangkat ke Surga, derived from the original name in Dutch, De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming (English: The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption). This current cathedral was consecrated in 1901 and built in the neo-Gothic style, a common architectural style to build churches at that time. The Jakarta Cathedral is located in Central Jakarta near Merdeka Square and Merdeka Palace. The Istiqlal Mosque is located next to the cathedral.
After the arrival of Dutch East India Company in 1619, the Catholic Church was banned in the Dutch East Indies and was limited to Flores and Timor. The Netherlands was known to support Protestantism and tried to limit the influence and authority of the Holy See. During the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, the Netherlands, including the Dutch East Indies and its other colonies, fell under the control of Revolutionary France and later the French Empire. In 1806, Napoleon installed his Catholic younger brother Louis Napoleon (Dutch: Lodewijk) as the King of Holland. Since then, the Catholic Church has been free to operate in the Dutch East Indies.
The commissioner-general of Batavia, Leonard du Bus de Gisignies (1825–1830), was credited with providing land to build the first Catholic church in Batavia. The former residence of General de Kock in the Weltevredeen area was renovated to be a church. Monseigneur Prinsen blessed and inaugurated the church on 6 November 1829 and named it "Our Lady of the Assumption." The church was renovated in 1859, but collapsed on 9 April 1890.
The present church is the structure that was rebuilt between 1891 and 1901. Pastor Antonius Dijkmans, SJ was appointed as the architect. Construction was halted due to a lack of funding, but the church's new bishop, Mgr E. S. Luypen, SJ, raised the necessary funds in the Netherlands, and architect M.J. Hulswit (1862-1921) resumed construction in 1899. Marius Hulswit simplified Dijkmans' design, allowing it to be built by construction workers without practical training. For that reason he added cast-iron spires to the church. The church portal is inscribed with "Marius Hulswit Architectus erexit me 1899-1901." "De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming - The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption" was blessed and inaugurated by Mgr Edmundus Sybrandus Luypen, SJ on 21 April 1901. The church was renovated between 1988 and 2002.
A tunnel connecting the church and Istiqlal Mosque was constructed between 2020 and 2021.
The plan of the cathedral took the form of a cross with a length of 60 meters and 10 meters wide, plus 5 metres on each aisle. It is a cathedral because it contains the "cathedra", the throne of bishop. The main entrance of the building is facing west. At the trumeau of the main portal stands a statue of Our Lady while on top of the portal there is a quote from the Magnificat: "Beatam Me Dicentes Omnes Generationes" which means "All generations shall call me blessed". Besides, there is a large round stained glass Rozeta Rosa Mystica, which is the symbol of Mother Mary.
There are three main spires in Jakarta Cathedral: the two tallest ones measured 60 metres tall and are located in front on each side of the portal. The north tower is called Turris Davidica, or "Tower of David"—a devotional title of Mary symbolizing Mary as the refuge and protector against the power of darkness. The south tower, also 60 metres tall, is called "The Ivory Tower", which the whiteness and pureness of ivory describe the pureness of the Virgin Mary. On the Ivory Tower, there are old clocks that are still functioning as well as a church bell. The third spire rises above the roof's cross intersection and measured 45 metres tall from the ground, and is called "The Angelus Dei Tower".
The building consists of two floors, the upper floor can be reached from a flight of stairs in the northern tower. Originally, the second floor used to be the place for the choir during masses, but since the cathedral is quite old, there is concern that the building cannot support the weight of too many people upstairs. Today, the upper floor functions as the Jakarta Cathedral Museum, housing the relics of Catholic rituals, such as the silver cups, hats and robes of the Dutch East Indies and Indonesian archbishops and cardinals. The museum also displays the history of the Catholic Church in Indonesia.
Recent media