Some 600 Catholic soldiers and police take part in Mass in Pontianak (photos)

by Mathias Hariyadi

Archbishop Agus wants to create opportunities for Catholics in uniform to meet. He appointed the military chaplain in the Archdiocese of Pontianak for the next three years. "The commitment and good example of the Church” have been “fruitful", said an Armed Forces general.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – About 600 Catholic senior officers from Indonesia’s National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) stationed in Pontianak (West Kalimantan province), took part in a Mass celebrated on Friday by the local archbishop, Mgr Agustinus Agus.

The prelate told AsiaNews that the service, which was followed by a pleasant meeting, was only the latest of a series of initiatives undertaken by the Archdiocese to foster good relations with Catholics who serve in local military and law enforcement commands.

At Easter, Mgr Agus had invited the local military and police commanders to participate in the event at the parish of Saint Cecilia. Several prominent military leaders heeded the call: Major General Herman Asaribab, head of the TNI Tanjungpura Regional Military Command (Kodam); Brigadier General Sri Handayani, deputy chief of police of West Kalimantan; and Brigadier General Palito Sitorus, commander of the Supadio Air Base. All three high-ranking officers are Catholic, as are the soldiers who joined them at the ceremony.

At the end of the service, Mgr Agus announced the decision to appoint Fr Laurentius Prasetyo, a priest with the Disciples of the Lord (CDD), as military chaplain in the Archdiocese of Pontianak for the next three years.

At the reception, the bishop stressed his desire to "create good opportunities like this, so that Catholic men and women in uniform can meet within a liturgical context. We do not have so many opportunities to meet informally, like today," he explained.

The archbishop expressed his appreciation for the "not so simple" task the military perform, i.e. protecting the interests of the nation and the unity of its people.

"I am convinced that these are not easy things to do,” he said. “For this reason, a personal touch and approach are urgent on the part of a prelate of the local Church. I really hope the new chaplain can give them moral support."

Major General Asaribab expressed the satisfaction of Army, Air Force and Navy at Mgr Agus’s initiative. "The commitment and good example of the Church, shown by the local archbishop, our moral pastor, have been fruitful; in particular, because we have the obligation to the public to be leaders, called to become the light and salt of society."

(Sister Maria Seba, SFIC contributed to this article)

(Photo credit: Sister Maria Seba, SFIC).