JAKARTA (UCAN): Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo of Jakarta called Pope Francis’ upcoming September visit “an opportunity for Indonesian Catholics to explore and practice his humanitarian messages.”
In a video released by the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference on April 8, Cardinal Suharyo said, “Indeed, the physical presence of Pope Francis is very important and very happy [occasion] for us.”
The 73-year-old cardinal wanted Catholics to pay attention to the pope’s messages and thoughts as they prepare to celebrate his arrival in the country. Papal messages “should also concern us, and we intend to study those messages,” he added.
The cardinal said that the last two critical papal messages in the Indonesian context were on human responsibility to protect the environment in his encyclical, Laudato Si’, and about the importance of maintaining brotherhood in Fratelli Tutti.
Cardinal Suharyo described them as brilliant ideas “not in the sense of being great, but very important for the history of mankind in our time.”
Indeed, the physical presence of Pope Francis is very important and very happy [occasion] for us
Cardinal Suharyo
The cardinal further hoped that the presence of the pope would encourage Indonesia’s Catholics to study his teachings and try to find ways to implement them.
The video showed the cardinal speaking with Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin of Bandung, president of the bishops’ conference.
The cardinal said the conference deliberately announced the pope’s visit on Annunciation Day because it was good news for Indonesia.
He said that Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Indonesia from September 3 to 6, as communicated by Monsignor Piero Pioppo, the apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, in a note to the country’s minister of foreign affairs on March 5.
“Of course, the certainty of Pope Francis’ arrival to Indonesia is still waiting for an official announcement from the government and the Vatican,” Bishop Subianto said.
Cardinal Suharyo said the papal visit was “not only for Indonesia but a long journey, from Indonesia to Papua New Guinea, to Timor Leste, to Singapore and possibly also to Vietnam.”
Of course, the certainty of Pope Francis’ arrival to Indonesia is still waiting for an official announcement from the government and the Vatican
Bishop Subianto
The cardinal said, “I don’t think there has ever been a visit covering five countries as far away as ours.”
With visits to various countries, the pope will certainly not have much time for Indonesia. “Catholics throughout Indonesia want to shake hands with the pope one by one, but we all know that is impossible,” the cardinal added.
Cardinal Suharyo said the visit was historic because the Vatican State was one of the first few countries to recognise Indonesia after its independence in 1945.
“Hopefully, with this visit, Indonesian Catholics will become more courageous in voicing the truth and become an example for people of other religions in terms of truly religious life, namely love above all, as the pope always emphasizes,” Bishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke in South Papua province said on April 8.
Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Quomas, confirmed the news of the pope’s visit to Indonesia in a March 30 statement.
