“Urbanization and plural society are my challenges”

The ordination ceremony, presided over by the papal nuncio, was held on May 9. The archdiocese is located in the eastern province of Nusa Tenggara, where communities of Catholics and Protestants date back to colonial times. According to Bishop Hironimus Pakaenoni, the local Catholic Church needs a new approach.

Jakarta () – On May 9, papal nuncio Mons. Piero Pioppo ordained the new archbishop of Kupang, Mons. Hironimus Pakaenoni. The ordination ceremony took place in the presence of 41 Indonesian and East Timorese bishops, including the previous archbishop, Monsignor Petrus Turang, who led Kupang, located in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, for 27 years.

In the Indonesian part of the island of Timor there are two dioceses: Kupang and Atambua. The latter borders East Timor and is much more ethnically homogeneous than the former. An element that Bishop Hironimus Pakaenoni also highlighted in an interview given to Hidup Magazine before his episcopal ordination: “In our territory, as a consequence of the competition, also religious, between the former colonial powers, the Dutch and the Portuguese, who competed against each other Since the 16th century, the differences between Catholics and Protestants remain marked. Our challenge is to establish good relations, because despite the efforts made so far, the feeling of competition is still present today,” commented the new archbishop.

However, as a local diocesan priest, Monsignor Pakaenoni had already participated in various activities: “I have been in the archdiocese of Kupang for almost 25 years, which has made it easier for me to identify the challenges and opportunities of this enormous archdiocese,” he declared.

In addition to “the plural society” of Kupang, emigration and urbanization are also topics that will occupy the prelate: “As the capital of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, the city of Kupang is a favorite place for emigrants, who come here in search for a better life,” explained the archbishop. “The presence of people of different ethnic origins from the island of Timor and the Flores Islands has created a challenge in the economic sphere: workers in the towns have a low level of education, they have more difficulties competing with urban citizens and, consequently, they charge little.”

These are all issues that, according to Monsignor Pakaenoni, can be addressed by the Church through a new approach: “I believe that the Church must be much more aware of the urgency of changing its traditional pastoral methods and moving from a territorial approach to a modern pastoral of the diaspora”.

In this regard, Bishop Hironimus Pakaenoni adopted the pastoral motto “Pasce ofos meas”, which means “Feed my sheep”.