Indonesian Catholic Charismatic Renewal Marks 50 Years with Call to Evangelize Through Service

Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, presided over a thanksgiving Mass marking the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Indonesia at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta on October 11, urging Catholics to proclaim the Gospel through their lives and service to society.

The Golden Jubilee celebration brought together bishops, priests, religious men and women, and Catholics from across the Southeast Asian archipelago under the theme, “The Holy Spirit, Fire of Evangelization.”

Cardinal Suharyo thanked the movement’s pioneers and members who had nurtured its growth since it began in Jakarta in 1976. He invited the faithful to offer the fruits of five decades of renewal to God and to strengthen their commitment to their families, parishes, dioceses and the wider Church.

Reflecting on the jubilee theme, he emphasized that evangelization requires perseverance, recalling how the Apostle Paul endured hardships in proclaiming the Gospel through the strength of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

He urged Catholics to seek new ways of sharing the Gospel, stressing that evangelization must extend beyond words to efforts to build a more just, peaceful and dignified society.

Archbishop Walter Erbi, the apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, conveyed congratulations on behalf of Pope Leo XIV. Speaking in Indonesian, he expressed the Pope’s prayers and paternal affection for the faithful and encouraged them to pray for the pontiff as he leads the universal Church.

Representing the president of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), Bishop Adrianus Sunarko congratulated the movement on five decades of growth. KWI President Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin was unable to attend because of meetings at the Vatican.

Bishop Sunarko recalled how the renewal movement developed from small prayer groups in 1976 into communities across Indonesia’s dioceses and parishes. He said it had helped deepen Catholics’ prayer lives, strengthen their love for Scripture and the sacraments, and encourage laypeople to participate actively in Church ministries.

However, he cautioned against treating the anniversary as the culmination of the movement’s mission.

“After this great celebration, the doors of the Indonesia Arena will open, and that means we are all sent forth,” he said.

Bishop Sunarko called on participants to carry their spiritual experiences into daily life and respond to challenges facing the Church and society, including secularism, digital disruption, individualism and threats to human dignity.

He urged members to give particular attention to poor and marginalized people, the vulnerable and persons with disabilities, enabling them to experience God’s love through practical service.

Bishop Fransiskus Tuaman Sasfo Sinaga, episcopal adviser to the National Service Body of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Indonesia, described the jubilee as a year of liberation, restoration and joy.

Citing the Second Vatican Council’s constitution Lumen Gentium, paragraph 12, he said the Holy Spirit distributes different gifts among the faithful to support their ministries and build up the Church.

Bishop Sinaga cautioned that spiritual maturity should not be measured solely by extraordinary experiences or emotional expressions. Instead, the gifts of the Holy Spirit should lead to conversion, humility, perseverance and greater love for others.

He encouraged participants to examine whether their prayer had strengthened their humility and whether their spiritual experiences had produced tangible changes in their daily lives. He also urged them to keep Christ at the center of their lives and the Eucharist at the heart of their Christian journey.

The jubilee program included the GoJu Fair, praise and worship, dialogue sessions, an inculturated Rosary reflecting Indonesia’s cultural diversity, Eucharistic adoration and the thanksgiving Mass.

The celebration marked five decades since the Catholic Charismatic Renewal took root in Indonesia, while directing its members toward renewed missionary engagement across the country.

Through the anniversary, Church leaders emphasized that spiritual renewal must bear fruit beyond prayer gatherings, inspiring Catholics to witness to Christ through service, solidarity with vulnerable communities and efforts to uphold human dignity.