Mathias Hariyadi

With more than 140 articles and scores of edited books to his credit, the member of the Society of the Divine Word passed away last Saturday. British-born, he arrived in the eastern region of Indonesia in 1973.

Abortion is a crime under Indonesian law. In recent days, the Communication Forum of Life Protectors held a two-day seminar to train volunteer counsellors. Fr Aristanto of the Commission for the Family of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference: "Jesus would have done anything to save the lives of others".

The Indonesian president just concluded a trip to Ukraine and Russia in an attempt to overcome the wheat blockade. Putin denies restricting exports from Ukrainian ports. Indonesia remains available to act as a "bridge" between the two warrying countries.

The attorney general accuses Garuda Indonesia’s former CEO of buying jets at inflated prices. Meanwhile, a commercial court approves the company's restructuring plans. The government says the airliner has halved debts and has plans to ensure profitability.

Drought is putting a strain on agriculture. Building wells is an option but one that requires lots of time. Other areas have also not had any significant rainfall for months.

Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Saeng, a 53-year-old Passionist religious, as the new bishop of the West Kalimantan border territory. He takes the place of Italian missionary Msgr. Giulio Mencuccini, who led this church since 1990. The new prelate: "Pray for my new mission."

The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia addressed a national meeting of lay pastoral workers. "Work does not only mean making a living,” said the prelate. Catholics should strive to “create a better social structure in society.” An example to follow is “The economy of Francesco”, a template for a fairer economy promoted by Pope Francis and young people.

Yaqut Cholil Quomas met with the pontiff in Rome accompanied by the leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama. The inter-religious conference is one of the appointments Indonesia is working on as chair of the global forum that brings together the major economic powers. The minister: "I brought the pope the greetings of Indonesian Catholics who pray for his health and hope to welcome him to our country".

President of Muhammadiyah and university lecturer, Ahmad Syafi'i Maarif died on 27 May just days before his 87th birthday. His commitment to dialogue earned him the Magsaysay Award in 2008. President Widodo's condolences for the passing of a great Indonesian. Commemoration of the local Church.

High tide and three-metre waves from the Java Sea inundate roads linking Semarang to other cities. Various areas are under water, impacting local shrimp hatcheries. Rainfall is not the cause. Climate change is bound to aggravate the problem.

As a form of protest, farmers were letting the crop rot. Indonesia lost about US$ 3 billion in uncollected duties. Now domestic prices are expected to rise again, undermining President Joko Widodo’s popularity.

Police also seized machetes and air rifles. The suspected criminals are part of the East Indonesian Mujahideen and are mostly from Poso, a city that has been at the center of sectarian violence for years.