Jakarta, Fr. Bertens' philosophy as a mission

A Sacred Heart missionary of Dutch origin, he died at the age of 88. In Indonesia since 1968, as director of the Ethics Centre at the University of Jakarta he made an important contribution to the country in the reflection on social ethics, also training young scholars.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A life dedicated to the mission in a predominantly Muslim country like Indonesia on a very particular frontier: teaching and studies on social ethics. This is the profile of Fr Kees Bertens, a missionary of Dutch origin from the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, who died on 19th July at the age of 88.

Born in Tilburg in 1936, a priest since 1960, he had arrived in Indonesia in 1968 after completing his philosophical studies at the Catholic University of Leuven. And it was precisely in teaching this discipline that he became a reference point in the country over the years.

After his first years in Pineleng, in the province of North Sulawesi, he moved to Jakarta in 1975, first to the Driyarkara High School of Philosophy (STFD) and then to the Ethics Centre of Atma Jakarta Catholic University, of which he became the director, a position he held until his death.

‘As a prolific philosopher who wrote numerous books on applied ethics, Father Kees Bertens MSC knows when to preach at the altar and when to think and reflect on what to write,’ the Indonesian daily The Jakarta Post had written in 2008 in a profile dedicated to him. A description confirmed to AsiaNews by Prof. Armada Riyanto, dean of the Widya Sasana Malang School of Philosophy and Theology.

‘He was not someone who liked to appear in public in televised debates, but the contribution made by his works on philosophy and ethics was enormous’.

His brother and former student Fr Johanis Mangkey also emphasises the importance of the legacy he leaves through the Ethics Centre at the Catholic University of Jakarta. ‘He always strongly encouraged all his students and staff,’ he explains, ‘to seek good opportunities to continue their studies. With the help of his relations in Europe, he regularly offered scholarships to the most qualified young people'.

Despite his reputation as a lecturer and essayist on ethical issues, Fr Bertens was also always a priest close to the people. ‘He also carried out a passionate pastoral work that saw him celebrate the Eucharist in dozens of parishes in the capital, especially in St John the Evangelist Church in South Jakarta and St Christopher's Parish Church in Grogol,’ recalls Fr Mangkey.

Fr Bertens' funeral was held today in the Mother of Christ parish church in West Jakarta after which he was buried in the public cemetery in Karawang, West Java.