After more than a year of sede vacante, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo to lead the diocese in East Java. The local community celebrated the announcement with a solemn mass. Fr. Didik, as he is nicknamed by the faithful, returns to his Church of origin after having been a missionary in a more remote area of the country
During a recent meeting in the Indonesian capital, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Alistair Dutton highlights the devastating effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. Caritas Indonesia, which was set up in response to a natural disaster, as Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo said, continues its commitment against malnutrition and human trafficking.
Reactions in Indonesia to the choice of the bishop of Bogor who asked Francis to be removed from the list of bishops who will receive the purple on 7 December. Bishops' Conference president Antonio Subianto Bunjamin: “Bishop Paskalis knows what is best for him, for the diocese and for the Church”.
President Prabowo Subianto, a 73-year-old former general, chose 48 ministers and 58 deputies, in line with the figures who were part of the cabinet of his predecessor, Joko Widodo. In his inaugural address yesterday, he promised poverty eradication and nonalignment in foreign policy. In the coming gioani the “red-white” administration will be engaged in a three-day retreat at a military academy.
Tomorrow the handover of power between Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo and the former general elected in February. Mixed reactions in Indonesian society, where many remember the heavy nationalist past. The biggest unknowns concern support for the new capital Nusantara and the economic management of the country. Meanwhile, the number of government ministers will increase from 30 to 46, raising concerns about government spending.
Among the 21 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis is Bogor Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur. The three predecessors were all linked in various ways to the archdiocese of Semarang. A Franciscan friar, an authoritative personality with a low profile and a smiling face.
