Jakarta Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo installed the office bears of the Catholic Youth Center Committee for 2021-2024.
The event was marked with a Mass held in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on January 10.
In his homily, Cardinal Hardjoatmodjo said tolerance is capital in building the nation's growth.
He also called Indonesia an example of tolerance in religious and social life.
"Catholic youth must promote a spirit of mutual respect for the benefit of the wider community," said the Archbishop of Jakarta.
National Youth Center Committee, a Catholic community organization, has 80-member officials responsible for promoting social and political awareness programs.
It was founded on November 15, 1945, in Yogyakarta, a city on the Indonesian island of Java.
Present at the program were the Cardinal, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir, national figure Maruarar Sirait, Economist Rizal Ramli, some members of the Indonesian House of Representatives and the 59 regional youth representatives throughout Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Thohir urged Catholic youth to work together and make an effort to restore the national economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic that is still sweeping the world.
"My presence here is not for political purposes, but to ask you all on how we maintain our hard work together for the good of society. The ideals of this nation must be carried out together, that must include the Catholic youth," said Thohir.
In addition, he also hopes that the Catholic youth under the leadership of Stefanus Asat Gusma as the chairperson will continue to maintain tolerance among different religious people.
"The theme of the inauguration of the Catholic youth today is the tolerance movement in the context of religious modernization," said Gusma.
In his message, he said that institutionally, Pemuda Katolik (Catholic Youth) is a social organization that has delegates from various backgrounds and ethnic groups across the regions of Indonesia.
According to him, as part of the nation, the Catholic youth is committed to be involved in designing and shaping the organization's internal programs and supporting government schemes.
"There are six acceleration points that are the main concern of the Catholic youth this period, where tolerance, general elections, and the issue of Papua are the main concerns," explained Gusman.
According to the president of the inauguration committee, Melkianus Da Costa Pirez, the theme of the inauguration was in line with the federal government's program, which proclaimed 2022 as the "Year of Tolerance."
The government wants to make Indonesia a barometer of fraternity and harmony globally.
"Religious moderation is a process of understanding and practicing religious teachings in a fair and balanced manner, avoiding extreme behavior or excessive attitudes," said Perez.
Furthermore, he explained that one of the efforts of the Catholic youth is to encourage religious adherents to take the "middle way" so as not to be extreme.
"Catholic youth should also be involved in building harmony, living their faith, and responsible for national economic recovery," he added.
On November 12 last year, the 18th Catholic Youth National Congress took place in Semarang, Central Java province, to elect the newly appointed officer.
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