Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian Catholic Society Forum of the Jakarta Archdiocese (FMKI KAJ)* held a seminar on corruption on 17 October. The goal was to raise moral awareness among Catholic teachers, educators and foundations about how to use money to avoid corruption and manage Church finances in an honest and transparent way.
The FMKI KAJ organised the meeting with the National Assembly Catholic Education (MNPK)† and the Bhumiksara Foundation.
Dozens of people – students, seminarians and members of the foundation – attended, including Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, from the Legal and Human Right Ministry; Fr Samuel Pangestu, vicar of the Archdiocese of Jakarta; Royani Lim from the Bhumiksara Foundation (Yayasan Bhumiksara), and Harefa, from the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK)‡.
Participants presented their work experience with respect to corruption prevention. Two priests spoke about the moral position of the Church on the subject.
Fr Pangestu, a former banker who became a diocesan priest and a close aide to the archbishop of Jakarta, talked about how to reconcile a job in a management fund and the Church's moral teaching.
Fr Matheus Mali, a professor of moral theology at the University of Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta, described his work in moral education at the institution.
"When a student or a seminarian breaks moral rules, because of graft or cheating, he has to leave the seminary,” he said.
* Forum Masyarakat Katolik Indonesia Keuskupan Agung Jakarta (FMKI KAJ) † Majelis Nasional Pendidikan Katolik (MNPK) ‡ Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK)