Indigenous and Capuchin is the new bishop of the diocese of Banjarmasin

Msgr Dwiardy is an ethnic Dayak and before becoming the new bishop he spent about 10 years in Rome as "Definitor" of the Asia Pacific Capuchin Conference. During his episcopal ordination, Mgr Dwiardy said: "I ask all of you to pray for me so that I can better serve God and his people".

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Capuchin Msgr. Victorius Dwiardy was officially installed as the new bishop of the diocese of Banjarmasin in southern Kalimantan - a region of Borneo - during a function presided over by the apostolic nuncio Msgr. Pierro Pioppo, Bishop Agustinus Agus of the archdiocese of Pontianak, Msgr. Samuel Oton Sidin and his predecessor in the diocese, Bishop Petrus Boddeng Timang. Native Bishop Dwiardy becomes the 38th bishop of the Southeast Asian country.

In his homily, the bishop Msgr. Samuel Oton Sidin said Dwiardy will face “difficult challenges” in implementing the pastoral mission in South Kalimantan. “It's like a meadow in the desert that sometimes forces the shepherd to walk a long way to find the missing sheep,” said Msgr. Sidin who was the contact of the Capuchins of Pontianak and of Bishop Dwiardy himself.

Most of the Catholics in the city of Banjarmasin are of Chinese origin or migrant Catholics from all parts of the country. Many are workers who earn their living on palm plantations. While thousands of Dayak, the local population, live in the Meratus Mountains of Borneo, who have no longer been Catholic for decades.

And it is precisely here that the diocese has implemented humanitarian projects in recent years: "There are many challenges, such as in Meratus High Ground, where the local people are not always happy with the presence of the church", said Bishop Sidin, admitting that there he expects the new bishop to know where it is necessary to start acting given that the Pontiff's choice to elect Dwiardy bishop is also due to the common "ethnicity" with the local population - he is also a Dayak born in western Borneo.

Before becoming the new bishop, Msgr. Dwiardy spent about 10 years in Rome as “Definitor” of the Asia-Pacific Capuchin Conference.Addressing thousands of people during his episcopal ordination, Msgr. Dwiardy said: “I ask you all to pray for me so that I can better serve God and his people in this diocese."