by Mathias Hariyadi


An initiative promoted by Bishop Julianus Sunarko, involving seven students from the diocese in a three-day events and prayer. A pilot project to strengthen vocations to the priesthood and religious life. National policy of "two children at most" and birth control have decimated vocations.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Contraceptives and birth control policies such as "two children maximum " will eventually become, one day, a severe "obstacle" to the development of new vocations to the priesthood or religious life. This is denounced by Purwokerto Bishop Msgr. Julianus Sunarko, who has launched an initiative - which involves a group of seminarians - to strengthen the desire among young people to dedicate their life to Christ. A formation "project" that involves the seven seminarians from the Major Seminary of St. Paul in Yogyakarta, central Java  The bishop sent his young men to the parish church of St Peter in Pekalongan , in the northwest of the province, as part of an awareness raising program for vocations.

The event lasted three days and involved an area inhabited mostly by native Chinese. The seminar opened with a Mass concelebrated by four diocesan priests, which was attended by the entire community. After that, the participants were divided into small groups for moments of "discussion", faith sharing, encounter and vocation, as well as a play (pictured) on a religious topic.

In conclusion, the five priests and 15 seminarians who led the vocational course concelebrated the Eucharist, which was followed by a meeting with individual groups of children in the community. Fikalis Rendy, one of the seminarians, confirms that young people were "happy with the meeting and requested that similar events at least once every year". Diocesan Sources told AsiaNews that it was a pilot project, to strengthen the morale among seminarians and raise vocations - to the priesthood or any other form of consecrated life - within the community.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation in the world (86 per cent, mostly Sunni). Although it upholds constitutional principles of basic personal freedoms (including religious freedom), it has increasingly become the scene of violence and abuse against minorities. Christians represent 5.7 per cent of the population with Catholics just over 3 per cent. Hindus are 1.8 per cent; 3.4 per cent belong to other religions. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million people, or about 3 per cent of the country's population (3.6 per cent in the Archdiocese of Jakarta).

The two provinces with the highest number of the faithful are central Java and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) , considered the cradle of Catholicism in the archipelago. However, birth control policies and the rising cost of living and tuition fees have prompted families to limit their number to "only" one or two children at most. A marked difference compared to the 70s , when most of the Indonesians looked at children as an asset that can help support the family.

 

• INDONESIA
• Puwokerto
• seminarian
• missionaries
• vocations
• CATHOLIC
• CHURCH