SAGKI 2025: The Indonesian Church in the wake of the Istiqlal Declaration

Some 374 delegates have gathered in a synodal spirit in Jakarta from all the country's dioceses, in continuity with Pope Francis’s visit. For the president of the Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, no one should go unheard. A missionary Church cannot be built “if we remain closed to the Spirit”. For the outgoing nuncio, Archbishop Piero Pioppo, the vitality of the Indonesian Church ought to be an example for Europe.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The 5th National Assembly of the Indonesian Catholic Church (SAGKI)[*] opened yesterday in Jakarta with a greeting from the outgoing Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Piero Pioppo.

Some 374 delegates representing the country's 38 dioceses came together, 254 men (41 active bishops and four bishops emeriti) and 120 women, to discuss "Journeying Together as Pilgrims of Hope: Becoming a Synodal and Missionary Church for Peace". The meeting is set to last until Friday.

“A synodal Church is one where the young listen to the old, and the old listen to the young. This is the richness of diversity within the Church,” said Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin OSC, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (KWI), in his opening address.

“In love, no one is excluded, unheard, or ignored. Everyone is called to participate in the Church’s mission,” he noted in his homily at the opening Mass on Sunday night.

Archbishop Subianto urged all Indonesian Catholics to listen to the Holy Spirit with an attitude of dialogue, fraternity, and courage, speaking the truth with sincerity.

“We cannot build a missionary, synodal Church if we remain closed to the Spirit or bound by excessive pride – thinking only of ourselves, our diocese, our island, or our region,” he said. “True discernment requires inner freedom, humility, prayer, and trust.”

SAGKI 2025’s opening Mass was characterised by lively expressions of Indonesia's cultural richness. Participants wore traditional regional dress, and prayers were recited in various local languages: Papua, Manadonese, Javanese, Balinese, and Dayak.

Bishop Antonius also emphasised the importance of continuing in the spirit of the Istiqlal Declaration, signed last year by the late Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar of the Istiqlal Mosque.

“May SAGKI 2025 produce a synodal wisdom that stands with those on the peripheries – geographically and existentially – strengthening our common struggle for justice and peace, and upholding human dignity through the ongoing implementation of the Istiqlal Declaration,” he said.

According to the prelate, the declaration serves as a moral foundation for addressing dehumanisation and the environmental crisis, promoting the integrity of creation through interfaith cooperation.

The president of the Bishops' Conference finally urged the Indonesian Catholic Church to sow hope.

“This assembly should not end as a mere formality,” Bishop Subianto cautioned, “but must bear fruit in decisions rooted in love and justice. This gathering must become a sign of hope and peace for those who are poor, marginalised, and dependent on our witness of faith.”

Preceding him, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Piero Pioppo expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian Church. After eight years in Jakarta, he is about to begin his new mission as the Holy See's representative in Spain and Andorra,

“The lively faith and missionary spirit of Indonesian Catholics have greatly encouraged me,” he said.

“It is inspiring for me personally to see how the seeds of faith planted by European missionaries have flourished so beautifully here,” he added. “The vitality of the Indonesian Church will serve as an inspiration for the renewal of the Church in Europe, which is often perceived as aging and in decline.”

[*] Sidang Agung Gereja Katolik Indonesia.

• Indonesia
• catholic bishops
• annual assembly
• synodality
• istiqlal declaration
• pope francis