Indonesian President Joko Widodo will inaugurate the second National Paduan Suara Gerejawi (Pesparani), a Catholic ecclesiastical choir festival, on October 28.
The country also observes Indonesian Youth Pledge Day on the same day.
The event will take place in Kupang, Indonesia's capital province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
According to organizers, the theme of the National Ecclesiastical Choir Festival is tolerance.
Speaking on behalf of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI), the secretary of the Episcopal Commission for the Laity, Father Hans Jeharut, said that the topic of tolerance highlighted at this event was no coincidence.
He said, “Pesparani is not just for competition, but also faith-building and coming together with Catholics and people of other faiths, as shown by the committee members."
“Jamaluddin, the head of the Nadhatul Ulama of Nusa Tenggara Province”, he added, is a “Muslim leader who serves as the general chairperson of the Pesparani Executive Committee.”
"The Church (KWI) views Pesparani as a concrete contribution to the Indonesian nation's oneness," he stated.
Father Hans stated, "This value must inspire the participants from Indonesia's 37 dioceses and 34 provinces."
The event’s organizer believes that Pesparani is projected to have a multiplier effect and a domino effect on the economy of the people of NTT Province, particularly the City of Kupang, in addition to cultivating the sense of brotherhood and mediating the Christian faith.
According to the event's organizing committee, 34 choir teams from all provinces of Indonesia would be present at Pesparani.
The Vice President of Indonesia, Ma'ruf Amin will be present after the event on October 31, when the competition winner will also be declared.
As stated by the event's creator, Raymundus Penana Nuba, the artistic design of the venue will feature the Basilica of St. Peter, the Vatican, a symbol of Catholic pride.
"The event idea also interprets Catholics, the largest religious group in NTT, by offering events with religious overtones, like the theatrical dance,” Nuba said.
Nuba stated, "The entire chain of events is cloaked in a cultural notion but retains a religious air."
The National Pesparani II is a large-scale collaboration between the Directorate General of Catholic Community Guidance (DGCG) of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI), along with the National Catholic Pesparani Development Institute (LP3KN).
Speaking of the event, Adrianus Meliala, the general chairman of LP3KN, stated that the National Level II Pesparani got more attractive because it will be held offline and online.
“This is connected to the socioeconomic environment, which is still recuperating from the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
Meliala revealed that there will be approximately 1,200 Pesparani competitors, 700 of whom had previously participated in the online tournament.
"The remaining competitors will be present in Kupang for the offline competition. However, those who have participated in online competitions may travel to Kupang as cheerleaders," he concluded. - Kasmir Nema
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