Jakarta (AsiaNews) – From a diplomatic career to the Jesuit apostolate. Yet without relinquishing his keen eye on global developments or his contacts with those who continue to work in Indonesia’s embassies. This is the remarkable story of Fr Klaus Heinrich Raditio, who on 29 July – together with four other confreres – was ordained a Jesuit priest at the Church of St Anthony of Padua in Kotabaru, in the city of Yogyakarta, on the eve of today’s feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.
“I first met him when he knocked on the door of my office at the Indonesian Presidential Staff Office. It was 2016 or perhaps 2017,” recalls Yanuar Nugroho, a well-known Indonesian Catholic intellectual who has worked with the government in Jakarta as an expert on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “He was impeccably dressed, in dark trousers, a white long-sleeved shirt and a tie. He introduced himself as an official from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had a promising diplomatic career ahead of him. At the time, he was serving as assistant to the Indonesian ambassador to the United Kingdom.”
Yanuar remembers precisely the first words Klaus spoke to him: “Sir, I want to become a Jesuit.” “I have never forgotten that opening sentence,” he wrote. “It was direct, without any preamble. We sat down and talked for a while.”
Klaus explained that his spiritual director, the late Jesuit Father B. Herry Priyono, had encouraged him to discuss his desire to join the Society of Jesus and to reflect carefully on all the consequences of giving up his position as a government official and career diplomat. “Immediately after he left, I rang the Indonesian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Desra Percaya,” Yanuar continued. “And, to my great surprise, he showed deep support for the aspirations of one of his most trusted colleagues.”
Contact with former colleagues
Days turned into weeks, months and years. “I didn’t speak to Klaus regularly,” Yanuar continues, “but I followed his vocational journey from afar through conversations with the late Fr Herry until his passing at the end of 2020.” Mr Nugroho and Klaus then met again occasionally whilst serving together on youth formation programmes.
Their contact became more frequent in 2025, when Klaus began studying theology and moved to St Ignatius College in Yogyakarta, whilst Yanuar completed his term at the Office of the Presidential Staff and subsequently decided to live in Yogyakarta as well. “Over a few cups of coffee, I listened to many of his stories,” wrote Yanuar.
Although he has stepped down from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Klaus has remained deeply committed to issues concerning Indonesia’s international relations. He has maintained close friendships with many of his former colleagues, particularly with the younger diplomats and civil servants at the ministry.
For Klaus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents Indonesia’s “fundamental asset” in managing the country’s relations with other nations, and diplomats bear an enormous responsibility in representing the country abroad. “The idea is simple,” explained Yanuar. “Whatever Indonesia proclaims on the international stage and in global forums must, ultimately, be borne out at home. Not even the best diplomats can defend such claims if the reality within Indonesia does not match what has been promised to the international community.”
That is why, despite having embraced a completely different vocation as a Jesuit priest, Klaus has continued to commit himself to supporting his former diplomatic colleagues: meeting with them, listening to them and engaging them in deep conversations. His vocation has changed, but his dedication to serving Indonesia and its people has continued in a different form.
The Jesuit Alumni Congress
Alongside Fr Klaus, four other Jesuit confreres were ordained on 29 July in Yogyakarta: Fr Andreas Agung Nugroho, from the parish of St Bartholomew in Taman Galaxy, Bekasi, in the Archdiocese of Jakarta; Fr Dionisius Amadea Prajna Putra Mahardika, from the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Karangpanas, in the Archdiocese of Semarang; Fr Filipus Frederick Ray Popo, from the parish of Christ the Saviour in Slipi, in the Archdiocese of Jakarta; and Fr Gregorius Agung Satriyo Wibisono, from the parish of St Mary of the Assumption in Pakem, in the Archdiocese of Semarang.
Their ordination – presided over by Bishop Petrus Boddeng Timang, Bishop Emeritus of Banjarmasin – was also attended by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr Arturo Sosa, who reminded the ordinands that the Jesuit priesthood is never a personal achievement, but a participation in the Society of Jesus’ universal mission of reconciliation and justice. Referring to one of the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences, he encouraged them to become instruments of reconciliation with God, amongst themselves and with creation. “Your priestly ministry,” he said, “should reveal the merciful face of God in a fragmented world.”
During his time in Indonesia, Fr Sosa is also taking part in the 11th Congress of the World Union of Jesuit Alumni (WUJA) – running until 2 August 2026 at Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta – which brings together over 1,000 Jesuit alumni, education leaders and partners from around the world.
The congress, themed ‘United in spirit, guided by a purpose’, aims to strengthen global ties among Jesuit alumni, whilst promoting collaboration in support of the Church’s mission.
