Indonesian Catholics gather in Kupang for Pesparani
After the suspension imposed by Covid, thousands gathered from all 37 provinces of the country for the festival of religious songs. Card. Suharyo: "An important sign of unity in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country like Indonesia".
Kupang (AsiaNews) - Indonesia's Catholics held a great national gathering in recent days on the occasion of the Pesparani, the national festival of religious songs, one of the most important occasions for the community to meet.
The first edition was held in Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, in 2018. Now - after being suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic - the second Pesparani was finally held in Kupang, the provincial capital of Eastern Nusa Tenggara (NTT), in the presence of thousands of participants from all 37 Indonesian provinces.
The highlight of the Kupang event was the spectacular traditional Patajanggung dance from the island of East Sumba, performed by some 10,000 students throughout the city. Together with the bishops and a dozen priests, the President of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference, Card. Ignatius Suharyo Archbishop of Jakarta, led the opening ceremony with a large Eucharistic celebration attended by at least 5,000 people.
In his homily, the Cardinal expressed his strong appreciation for the unity among Indonesian Catholics that this festival promotes. "It is a time when, as disciples of Christ, we celebrate our Catholic communion on a national level, coming from different places in this huge nation. As a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country, we must be thankful that we are united by the doctrine of Pancasila and our national language," he commented.
"Through Pesparani, we - Indonesian Catholics - are brought together in one place and at one time to celebrate our faith and - together with other fellow Indonesians - to understand this event as a good opportunity to promote interreligious human brotherhood among Indonesians," the cardinal added, emphasising the fact that Kiai Hajj Jamaludin Ahmad, a prominent figure in the Muslim community of Kupang, was also involved in the organisation.
At the end of his homily, Cardinal Suharyo invited the Catholic and other religious communities to sing Satu Nusa, Satu Bangsa ('One Country, One Nation'), a national anthem. He also hoped that the four-day festival would celebrate the spirit of Sumpah Pemuda, the common commitment of young Indonesians.
It was finally decided that the next Pesparani will be held next year in the greater Jakarta metropolitan area.
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18/11/2017 14:36
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