Bishop Turang, icon of reconciliation between Jakarta and East Timor, has died
Archbishop emeritus of Kupang passed away at the age of 78. President Prabowo - who knew him well because he came from the same region - also wanted to personally pay his respects to his remains. Fr Mangkey tells AsiaNews: ‘Called to be part of the Commission for Truth and Friendship, he made a decisive contribution to healing the wounds of the conflict with Dili’.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto personally attended the funeral of Mgr Petrus Turang, Archbishop Emeritus of Kupang, in Jakarta Cathedral. He died yesterday at the age of 78. Monsignor Turang - who led the most important Catholic community in the province of East Nusa Tenggara from 1997 to 2024 - died in a hospital in the capital due to complications from kidney failure.
It is not usual for the President of Indonesia to pay tribute to a Catholic bishop in Jakarta Cathedral: the last time was in February 1999, when the then President Prof. Habibie wanted to express his sympathy in this way to Fr. J.B. Mangunwijaya, his personal friend and a priest well known for his social commitment, who died suddenly.
Among Indonesian Catholics it is well known that President Prabowo Subianto had a close personal bond with Bishop Turang, as they are both originally from North Sulawesi. In fact, Monsignor Turang was born in Tataaran, in the same region where the mother of President Prabowo also comes from.
However, the Indonesian Church remembers the bishop emeritus of Kupang above all for the great contribution he made to the path of reconciliation after the long war in East Timor. Monsignor Turang was in fact one of the five Indonesian representatives on the Commission for Truth and Friendship between Indonesia and East Timor: a task that reflected the great trust placed in him by the Indonesian government, not only as a religious leader, but also as a man of integrity, able to help overcome the distances between the two nations with their painful shared history.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Yance Mangkey of the Indonesian Province of North Sulawesi of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus recalls: ‘The involvement of Msgr. Turang in this commission was anything but symbolic. The inclusion of a religious leader in the team was fundamental in bringing a moral, ethical and humanitarian perspective to serious issues such as human rights violations and the wounds left by history. A figure like him helped to find a balance between the military, legal and political points of view and the true values of reconciliation’.
The commission played an essential role in strengthening relations between Indonesia and East Timor after the conflict. Furthermore, the trust placed in its members by both countries, including Monsignor Turang, is proof that diplomacy centred on the individual and the value of bringing people together remain profoundly relevant in peace building.
Late in the evening, the body of Bishop Turang was transferred to Kupang, where local Catholics will bid their final farewell to the prelate in the Cathedral of Christ the King.
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30/11/2023 16:18
22/09/2022 16:40
