The Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI) elected the Crosiers bishop Antonius Subianto Benjamin as president and the Franciscan bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur as general secretary for the period 2022–2025 on November 17.
Bishop Benjamin, OSC (Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross) of Bandung, will take charge of the office, replacing Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, who has served three terms as KWI's leader.
Bishop Benjamin is currently Secretary General of the KWI.
On February 14, 1968, he was born in Bandung. After he finished his studies in philosophy and theology at the Catholic University of Bandung, he joined the Order of the Holy Cross.
On August 28, 1994, he made his solemn vows, and on June 26, 1996, he was consecrated a priest.
The prelate has served in the following academic and pastoral positions: 1996–1999: Studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium; 1999–2003: Philosophy professor at the Catholic University of Bandung.
He has a degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and served as vice provincial OSC. and professor at the Catholic University of Bandung from 2007 to 2010. (2008). He also served in many roles for the diocese and its institutions.
He was named bishop of Bandung by Pope Francis on June 3, 2014.
Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur, OFM of Bogor, was chosen as general secretary of the KWI.
The Franciscan Bishop was born in Ranggu, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara Province, on May 17, 1962. Before he became a bishop, he worked in Rome as a general councilor for the Franciscan Order.
After finishing high school at the Pius XII Kisol seminary in East Manggarai, Flores, he joined the Franciscan Order. From 1983 to 1987, he went to the Driyakara School of Philosophy in Jakarta to study philosophy. After that, he went to Yogyakarta to study theology at the Faculty of Theology of Sanata Dharma University.
He became a priest on February 2, 1991, and was sent to Moanemani Parish in the Jayapura diocese, West Papua, until 1993.
Until 1996, he spent three years at the Antonianum in Rome studying for his spirituality license.
Upon his return to Indonesia, he became a novice master in Depok, West Java, from 1996–2001 and a council member of the Franciscan province of Indonesia.
He was elected provincial superior in 2001 and was later re-elected for another term before he was appointed director general in Rome.
From November 14 to 18, 2022, KWI held a synodal session with the theme "Walking Together: Realizing Fellowship, Participation, and Mission."
At this synodal meeting, the chairman and secretary general of KWI, as well as the heads of commissions and other officials, were chosen.-Kasmir Nema
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
