The Vatican made the announcement after a meeting between Pope Francis and Aung San Suu Kyi, de facto leader of Myanmar.

"Filing a complaint at the ICC is a good move for the whole world to know that crimes against humanity, seemingly sanctioned by the government, are being committed in this Christian country," said Bishop Bastes.

The polarizing campaign gave hard-line Islamic groups a national stage and has undermined Indonesia's reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

Father Ignatius Rai, pastor of the cathedral parish, said "unknown persons" broke into the church premises and started a fire that partially damaged the priest's residence and the western part of the church.

"How many of our Catholics openly and blatantly declare, 'I am a Catholic, but I agree that drug addicts must be killed; they are useless,'" the archbishop said.

Continued ethnic conflicts mar the fledgling democracy in Myanmar, which recently witnessed the inauguration of President U Htin Kyaw.