Jakarta (AsiaNews) - There will be at least 5 thousand young Indonesian Catholics at the large gathering organized by the Bishops for the conclusion of the Year of Faith, Saturday, Nov. 23. Presiding over the ceremonies in the capital will be Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and Vatican delegate, a presence that gives greater prominence and prestige to an initiative that was undecided until almost two months ago. However interest has grown in recent weeks, also thanks to the creation of a Facebook page , a Twitter account and a video posted on YouTube (click here to view) .
A major youth rally, entitled : " OMK Gathering 2013 : the Joy of Indonesian Catholic Youth", will take place in Jakarta on Nov 23. An event that , thanks to the hard work of the Youth Commission of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference ( KomKep - KWI) , has led to an unexpected result to say the least . Fr . Yohannes Dwi Harsanto , general secretary KomKep , confirmed to AsiaNews there will be " at least 5 thousand " young people present fir the event that forms part of the initiatives promoted at the end of the Year of Faith.
Card. Rylko's presence has peaked interest among young Indonesian Catholics who seethe participation of representative of the Holy See as a sign of attention to the local Catholic community, an active and engaged minority in the context of a largely Muslim society.
Each parish in Jakarta will send a delegation to the "big event " , which also attracts the faithful from the neighboring diocese of Bogor and Bandung. The contribution of the John Paul II Foundation and dozens of Catholic organizations and student movements has been vital. They will enliven the afternoon waiting for the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by the cardinal. Along with Card . Rylko, Archbishop of Jakarta Msgr. Ignatius Suharyo , the bishops and the Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia Mgr . Antonio Guido Filipazzi will concelebrate the Mass.
Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million people, or 3 per cent of the population. In the Archdiocese of Jakarta, the faithful reach 3.6 per cent of the population. Although the constitution recognises religious freedom, Catholics have been the victims of violence and abuse, especially in areas where extremist visions of Islam are entrenched, like Aceh. Still, Catholics are an active component in society and contribute to the nation's development as well as to emergency operations when they arise, as was the case in last January's devastating floods.
