Mathias Hariyadi

The Bishops' Conference organised the National Missionary Congress, centred on ‘Baptised and sent to proclaim the Gospel’, drawing some 400 people from the country’s 37 dioceses. The topics discussed included communication and social divisions.

The event that will end tomorrow. It was born in preparation for the extraordinary missionary month of October 2019, commissioned by Pope Francis. The pontiff sends a message to the participants: "Baptism as a leaven in society, to carry forward the message of Jesus".

Java island has recently been fertile ground for priestly vocations. Since May, Indonesian Catholics have celebrated some 45 consecrations. In August another 13 young men will become priests.

In recent times, the OSF community of Semarang has struggled to foster historical memory among young Catholics. The provincial superior decided to solve the problem through a two-day study group. Two elderly women religious also took part in the initiative.

Baiq Nuril Maknun, 38, has become the face of the #MeToo movement in Indonesia. Next week, she will start to serve a six-month prison sentence and will have to pay a fine of 500 million Indonesian rupiahs. The Supreme Court confirmed her conviction for recording and making public the sexual harassment by the headmaster of her school.

Indonesian law does not recognize ‘nikah siri’, unregistered religious marriage. The practice is widespread especially among the better-off. Scholar at an Islamic university complains that women are treated as 'object' of sexual desires. Secretary of the National Commission against Violence against Women wonders “if polyandry would be accepted in Indonesia".

In Ambarawa, 12 sisters and 50 seminarians take part in a four-day course. The Episcopal Commission for the seminars involved professionals in the field of writing and video production. The seven major seminaries of the island serve 17 of the 37 Indonesian dioceses.

The Court dismissed his appeal against election results as "baseless". The defeated candidate says he is disappointed. He reiterates his loyalty to the constitution but is considering other legal avenues. Re-elected, his rival Widodo says he will be the president of “all Indonesians".

In the capital, the trans community numbers about 8,000; almost 1,300 are Catholics or Protestants. The humanitarian arm of the local Church has undertaken various initiatives in pastoral outreach. The success of its projects drew the attention of the well-known Catholic businessman Irwan Hidayat.

The blouses for girls are longer than normal and are paired with a hijab. The school headmistress justified the dress code saying that all 127 pupils are Muslim. Eventually, the order was dropped but not without sparking controversy. For one parent, the code goes against the country’s idea of unity in diversity.

Revenues exceed the 2018 National Budget Plan forecast of US$ 8.8 billion by 157 per cent. “Issues about energy and mineral resources are fundamentally strategic,” said former OPEC chief Purnomo Yusgiantoro. A Catholic, the latter created a think tank that brings together entrepreneurs, professionals and experts in the energy sector.

The victims are 24 women and 6 children. Trapped inside they could not escape because doors and windows were walled up. The flames broke out when a worker was checking the operation of a product. Family members provide DNA to identify charred bodies.