Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, Archbishop of Jakarta, marked seven years since his creation as a cardinal with a Eucharistic celebration on October 5 at Jakarta Cathedral, Indonesia.
Jakarta, the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is home to the country’s largest Catholic archdiocese.
The anniversary Mass was attended by priests of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, representatives of Unio, the fellowship of diocesan priests in Indonesia, priests from the Major Seminary and Catholic faithful.
Cardinal Suharyo presided at the celebration with members of the Archdiocesan Curia and other priests.
For Cardinal Suharyo, the anniversary was an occasion to give thanks for the opportunity to serve the Church rather than to celebrate a title.
After the Mass, the cardinal joined priests and faithful for a cake-cutting ceremony, fellowship and a meal at Plaza Maria in the cathedral complex.
He thanked the priests as fellow travelers in ministry and expressed gratitude to the faithful, families, seminarians, religious, young people, teenagers and children who supported the ministry of the Church.
“May we continue to grow as good and humble shepherds,” Cardinal Suharyo said.
Pope Francis announced on September 1, 2019, that then-Archbishop Suharyo would be created a cardinal, together with 12 other prelates.
On October 5, 2019, Pope Francis created the 13 new cardinals during a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica. Cardinal Suharyo became the third cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in Indonesia.
Following the announcement in 2019, then-Archbishop Suharyo said the decision was not a personal recognition but an appreciation of the Catholic Church in Indonesia and the contribution of Indonesian Catholics to the life of the nation.
Cardinal Suharyo has also said that he was more comfortable being called a bishop because his daily responsibility was to lead the Archdiocese of Jakarta. He stressed that being a cardinal did not make him superior to other bishops.
His anniversary celebration reflected that understanding of the role: the cardinalate as a call to greater service rather than personal distinction.
The Archdiocese of Jakarta is one of Indonesia’s key centers of Catholic life and serves a large and diverse Catholic community in the country’s capital.
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