Indonesia: Apostolic Nuncio ordains new bishop of Banjarmasin

Archbishop Piero Pioppo, the apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, ordained Bishop Victorius Dwiardy, OFM Cap of Banjarmasin Diocese, November 4, at Grand Palace, Banjarmasin.

"Pour now upon Thy chosen one the power that emanates from Thee, O Father—the guiding and directing Spirit that Thou has bestowed upon Thy beloved son, Jesus Christ, and the holy apostles—" said Archbishop Pioppo and the other bishops, laying their hands during the Eucharistic Celebration of the Ordination of the new bishop, in a fragment of the Prayer of Holy Orders.

The Archbishop of Pontianak, Bishop Agustinus Agus as the First Ordaining Bishop, and Bishop Petrus Boddeng Timang of Banjarmasin as the Second Ordaining Bishop were present with Archbishop Pioppo, who served as the main celebrant.

Faustus Irwan Darmawan Bagara, OFM Cap, the provincial of the Capuchin Order of Pontianak Province, and Father Albertus Jamlean, MSC, the Vicar General of the Banjarmasin Diocese, occupied adjacent seats to the newly consecrated Bishop Dwiardy.

A congregation of 1500 individuals, including 34 bishops, hundreds of priests, and devout members, attended the episcopal ordination.

Bishop Samuel Oton Sidin, OFM.Cap, who delivered the homily, stated that by deciding to become a monastic priest, the new bishop had abandoned everything.

"He devoted his entire life to the church so that it might use him to spread the gospel through the Capuchin Order." He complied with the Church's regulations when he was appointed a member of the Church by the Holy Father (Pope Francis), the prelate explained.

Bishop Sidin said that Bishop Dwiardy while serving as a Franciscan, embodied his pastorate in an ordination motto that was both visually appealing and engrossing: "Ardere et Lucere," an acronym that translates to "blazing and shining."

"Bishop Dwiardy possesses an inexhaustible spirit that derives from St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order, and is bolstered by a multitude of past experiences," he explained.

"The attainment of genuine joy is contingent upon successfully traversing every valley, climbing every cliff, and traversing every river. No darkness is dark enough to extinguish the light and flame of Bishop Dwiardy's pastoral spirit," said the bishop.

On July 8, 2023, Pope Francis appointed a new bishop, a native of Kalimantan, in place of Bishop Timang, who had tendered his resignation due to health issues.

The Banjarmasin Diocese encompasses an area of 37,530 km2 in South Kalimantan. 18 priests are serving 14 parishes in the Diocese, which is home to an estimated 22,000 people.

The Catholic population of the diocese comprises individuals of diverse ethnic origins, such as Javanese, Florenese (originating from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara province), Toraja (originating from South Sulawesi), and Chinese-origin Indonesians. - With Input from Mirifica.NET