New Indonesian archbishop vows to promote tolerance

Promoting tolerance and brotherhood amid rising sectarian tensions in Indonesia is one of the top priorities of the new archbishop of Semarang.   Father Robertus Rubiyatmoko, appointed Archbishop of Semarang by Pope Francis on 18 March, was consecrated bishop on May 19 at a ceremony at the National Police Academy in Semarang in Central Java.  The 53-year old bishop is the youngest of Indonesia’s 10 serving archbishops.   

"The archdiocese wants to create a culture of love in society. Catholics can promote a harmonious life which shows tolerance and brotherhood," Archbishop Rubiyatmoko told UCANEWS.  “Rising sectarianism has led to intolerance. Worse, national unity is at risk,” said the new archbishop. "People can easily react badly to any tensions. This is very concerning," said the prelate in charge of the pastoral care of over 400,000 Catholics.

He vowed to encourage Catholics to build good relations based on love of people from different religious backgrounds.  "The challenge is at the grassroots," he said. "Local people are actually very tolerant. But I often see the grassroots are easily provoked by outsiders who want to spark tensions."

The vast majority of Indonesian Muslims are moderates, but recent incidents indicate that the nation is ‎no exception to the growing threat of Islamic radicalism among its people.  Rising extremism in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has kept not only the government of President Joko Widodo but also the international community worrying.   The fear is that the phenomenon could undermine the secular and democratic credentials of south-east Asia’s largest economy renowned for its ethnic, religious and cultural wealth and biodiversity.  

The recent race for the governorship of Jakarta has seen the entire nation polarized along religious and ethnic lines in perhaps one of the most bitter election campaigns the nation has seen.   The race between Jakarta’s Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and his Muslim rival, Anies Baswedan, who ultimately won the race, saw hard-line Islamist groups fomenting the religious sentiments of the people.  And the dust hasn’t settled  as yet.  Political elites are increasingly exploiting religious sentiments and racism, and the problem is that the presidential election of 2019 is likely to see more of it.  

Nevertheless, Christians and moderate Muslims have also begun to make themselves heard.  Last month, mass protests took place in Semarang and the nearby city of Salatiga against the formation of local chapters of the hard-line group called the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).  Protesters said they wanted to protect their communities from sectarianism and prevent the country from tearing itself apart.  The protests were also in response to a series of large rallies staged by the FPI and other hardliners in Jakarta. 

In this context, Archbishop Rubiyatmoko has chosen as his motto: “Quaerere et salvum facere”, the Latin for “to seek and to save” from 19:10.   "Many people, not only Catholics, need help right now," he said.  Father Aloysius Gonzaga Luhur Prihadi,  the vicar of Semarang Archdiocese expressed hope that the new archbishop will encourage local Catholics to be more inclusive.  "It is very relevant to the current situation where there are divisions based on ethnic, religion, race and group," he said, suggesting that the prelate should also focus on encouraging young Catholics to deal with such situations.

With more than 85% of its over 250 million population professing Islam, Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.  Christians together ‎make up nearly 13%.   Catholics are a mere 3.5%.  Nevertheless, the Catholic Church with its vast network of educational institutions and social outreach  programmes is greatly respected.

The appointment of the new archbishop of Semarang came just months ahead of an important Church event that is promoting inclusiveness, tolerance, harmony and cooperation among peoples at the continental level. Semarang Archdiocese is hosting the 7th Asian Youth Day in Yogyakarta, from July ‎‎30 to August 9, on the theme, "Joyful Asian Youth! Living the ‎Gospel in Multicultural Asia."    Events leading up to the Asian Youth Day have been promoting its theme.