Jakarta celebrates Cardinal Suharyo, who has served the Church of Java for 50 years

Prayers, thanksgiving and a traditional kethoprak performance marked the celebrations for the archbishop's half-century of priesthood. A tribute to local culture and a profound reflection on the mission of a pastor. The Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs was also present, along with hundreds of faithful.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Not only prayers and thanksgiving, but also stories and testimonies of a life spent entirely for the mission and for his community. Yesterday afternoon, Jakarta Cathedral hosted the golden jubilee for the 50th anniversary of Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo's priesthood, for a community celebration that also experienced unusual but deeply meaningful moments. Such as the representation of the story of a Javanese king who chose to abdicate the throne and a priest who for five decades faithfully followed the quiet path of service.

After the Eucharistic celebration, in the presence of four bishops from the Java region, including Monsignor Pius Riana Prapdi of Ketapang and Monsignor Inno Ngutra of Amboina, as well as hundreds of faithful, came the most significant moment: an invitation to reflect on the meaning of leadership through a traditional kethoprak performance entitled ‘Raja Airlangga Mandita’.

This is a form of popular theatre characteristic of Java, combining acting, gamelan music, dance and singing. In particular, the performance told the story of King Airlangga who, after building the glory of the kingdom of Kahuripan, chose to renounce power and live as an ascetic.

For many, the story was like a mirror of life, especially for Cardinal Suharyo himself. ‘The show is about the transition from the throne to the priestly life,’ the cardinal said softly when meeting the media on the sidelines of the event. ‘I interpreted it,’ he added, ‘as a hope for myself.’ The phrase was uttered without rhetoric or excessive emphasis, in line with the way he has lived all these years: simple, calm and away from the spotlight.

For Cardinal Suharyo, the traditional Javanese show is not only cultural entertainment, but an expression of a faith that has its roots in the local area. ‘First of all, this artistic celebration is a way to enhance and pay tribute to the local culture, namely kethoprak,’ he explained. In addition, it brought with it a ‘profound reflection’ on the leadership of the Church: ‘Power,’ he warns, ‘is not meant to be retained, but to be relinquished for the sake of continuity of service.’

The message resonates strongly in a Church and a nation often plagued by crises of example and integrity. Known for his calm and dialogical approach, the cardinal offers a model of leadership that is not loud, but consistent. ‘Cardinal Suharyo,’ Clarissa Ratna, a doctor from the parish of Pamulang who attended the Mass, tells AsiaNews, ‘is a very simple, calm and humble priest. He is a Church leader deeply committed to dialogue, gentle in appearance, but firm and wise. And what is most evident is his fidelity to the priesthood.’

Among those present at the celebration was Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, who has established a strong friendship and bond with the cardinal that goes beyond the formal relationship between religious officials. In 50 years of service to the Church and the nation, there have been virtually no negative episodes.

The culmination,‘ said the minister, ’was our joint effort in building the tunnel connecting the Cathedral and Istiqlal." The ‘Tunnel of Brotherhood’ is not just concrete and an underground passageway. It is a symbol of interreligious brotherhood, a ‘spiritual bridge,’ as he defines it, born of a commitment to dialogue and the courage to trust one another.

Behind his red cardinal's robe, Ignatius Suharyo is a professor of Sacred Scripture. In over 25 years of teaching, the cardinal has trained hundreds of diocesan priests and members of various religious congregations, including three bishops from Ketapang, Semarang and Pangkalpinang. He teaches not only through texts, but also through the witness of his life.

A doctor of Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, he has remained faithful to teaching, including through digital media, despite his demanding responsibilities as Archbishop of Jakarta and member of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelisation.

In the public sphere, his word is often heard as the voice of conscience. Through the ‘Gerakan Nurani Bangsa’ (Movement of the Conscience of the Nation), he reminded leaders not to be tempted to become rulers.

‘Leaders are called to serve the common good,’ he once emphasised. Major national issues - environmental destruction, as has recently emerged, human trafficking, social injustice - are addressed not with anger, but with a clear and consistent moral appeal.

Born in Sedayu, in the regency of Bantul in the special region of Yogyakarta, in the province of Central Java, the seventh of ten siblings, a vocation to religious and priestly life was not new in the family. Two of his younger sisters became nuns: Sister Christina Sri Murni, FMM, and Sister Maria Magdalena Marganingsih, PMY.

His older brother, the late Fr. Suitbertus Ari Sunardi, OCSO, was a Trappist monk at the Abbey of Santa Maria Rawaseneng. From this simple family background grew a pastor who is now well known but continues to live modestly.

Fifty years of priesthood are not the end of the journey. Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo's golden jubilee of priesthood seems rather like a renewed affirmation: true leadership does not consist in remaining on the throne, but in having the courage, one day, to let it go. Like King Airlangga in last night's kethoprak performance and like a priest who walks faithfully, slowly and quietly, along the path of service.