by Mathias Hariyadi

Accepting the Pope’s invitation, the bishops promote social initiatives under the motto "do good to others." These include insurance funds to cover funeral expenses and to support needy students. Many baptisms scheduled for Easter Vigil.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Accepting the invitation launched several times by Pope Francis, the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) under the motto "do good for others" has launched a series of initiatives in in favor of the poor and underprivileged.

Several dioceses and archdioceses have launched initiatives, because the practice of the faith - warn the prelates - must be directed not only at personal salvation, but also the good of others.  Some of these projects include fundraising for the needy, collections for grants for low-income students, and insurance to ensure a proper burial - the cost of funerals is high in the capital and in several other areas.

Marking the Year of Thanksgiving, officially launched in 2015 by the Archdiocese of Jakarta with the title "There is no genuine gratitude without doing something good for others," the local Church leaders are launching a special initiative. Providing low cost insurance coverage for needy families, to allow them bury their loved ones.

The initiative was first put forward by the capital’s Archbishop Msgr. Ignatius Suharyo two years ago, the initiative has met with the support of thousands of faithful who have decided to take part. At the annual price of  9 dollars, the family members of the deceased may be eligible for 950 dollars to cover paperwork and proceed with the burial.

Also in Jakarta there are other initiatives for educational programs - as repeatedly stressed by Msgr. Suharyo - for the poorest and neediest students. Besides the capital school fees are very high, especially in private institutions - such as the Catholic schools - where the level of education has a higher standard than the average. To avoid only the "rich" from having access and in a spirit of solidarity promoted by the archdiocese, during Lent fundraisers to support the initiative were promoted. The parishes involved include Jagakarsa in South Jakarta and the Regina Caeli in North Jakarta.

A similar initiative is also taking place in the diocese of Purwokerto, in central Java, where Bishop Julianus Sunarko has dedicated this year to the apostolate for education. Many human and financial resources have been invested in the promotion of educational "projects".

Again many of the funds raised during Lent will be allocated to education projects. In the weeks leading up to Easter, it is common practice in the various dioceses to promote fundraising campaigns; envelopes or small boxes are distributed to Catholic families and the money raised is given to the diocesan leaders, who use them to support charities or humanitarian campaigns.

However, the season of Lent is a time of penance and the deepening of faith. On the occasion of Palm Sunday, dozens of Catholics patiently queued for confession. In the parish of Pakem – a small suburb of North Yogyakarta in central Java - seven adults will be baptized in the Vigil Mass. In the parish of Banyumanik, Semarang (Central Java), dozens of people have already been baptized, in the context of a ceremony which saw the enthusiastic participation of the entire Catholic community.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Christians represent 5.7 per cent of the population with Catholics just over 3.6 per cent.

The latter are an active part of society. Over the years, they have contributed to the nation's development and played a major role in emergency operations, as was the case during the devastating floods of January 2013.

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