Jakarta (AsiaNews) - After being postponed twice, the ordination ceremony of the new bishop of Sibolga, Mgr Fransiskus Tuaman Sasfo Sinaga, was held on July 29. Card. Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo presided over the celebration.
Initially scheduled for 20 May, the consecration was postponed due to the Covid restrictions imposed during the month of Ramadan. Catholic authorities postponed it to 27 June, but Msgr Sinaga contracted the coronavirus a few days earlier, and was forced into isolation. "I was recommended to observe a self-quarantine in a Catholic hospital in Medan," he told AsiaNews. His predecessor, Msgr Anicetus Sinaga, died of lung disease.
The episcopal ordination took place in the Cathedral of St Theresa of Lisieux, following medical protocols and in the presence of only 50 guests. "I am pleased to learn that my ordination will take place in an atmosphere of simplicity during the pandemic. We want to show our solidarity with all the Indonesian people at this difficult time," Msgr Sinaga had said.
Pope Francis had appointed Msgr Sinaga as the new bishop of Sibolga on 6 March. The diocese covers a very large territory, ranging from the western coastal region to the northern districts of Sumatra, up to the island of Nias, including also a small part of Aceh province.
