Indonesia’s new bishop rejects feudal titles, embraces simplicity

Jan 24, 2025

By Mathias Hariyadi
Known affectionately as Fr. Didik, the newly ordained bishop has called for a shift away from feudalistic traditions in the Church, setting a humble and inclusive tone for his leadership.

In his address during the ordination, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta revealed that Bishop Utomo had expressed his discomfort with being addressed by the honorific title “Monseigneur,” citing its feudalistic connotations.

“The new bishop will always likely [be] pleased if his congregation would not call him ‘Msgr,’ but just simply to call their new prelate: ‘Romo Uskup’ or ‘Bapak Uskup’ — Father Bishop,” the cardinal said.

This decision, uncommon among Indonesian bishops, has been widely welcomed by the Catholic community, which sees it as a move towards humility and servant leadership.

Call to address ‘crisis of love’
In his first homily, Bishop Utomo emphasized the importance of love within the Church, echoing the late Pope Benedict XVI’s concept of a “crisis of love.”

“A friend of mine, who is the chief leader of a certain religious congregation, told me someday after having met with Pope Benedict, saying that most of us — religious congregations — often have lost our true religious identity, and that is love, as [we are] slowly becoming almost similar with NGOs,” the bishop said.

He called on the Catholic community to embrace the love of Christ, which he described as the distinguishing feature of the Eucharist. 

“Today, we are called to become friends of Jesus. Even priests, nuns, and religious brothers are easily tempted to become superior compared with the lay people,” he said.

Drawing from personal experience, he added, “I always remember one of the most influential past experiences as a good friend to others is trying to smile. It is indeed [a] very easy thing to do, but sometimes it becomes very hard to practice. However, [a] smiley face becomes [an] urgent matter in this jubilee as it is almost like porta sancta.”

The new bishop also shared his admiration for the French Catholic existentialist philosopher Gabriel Marcel and Jewish thinker Martin Buber, acknowledging their influence on his pastoral approach.

Highlighting inclusivity: Special guest from South Korea
Bishop Utomo’s ordination ceremony was attended by a special guest from South Korea, Fr. Pat Min Seong, the first deaf-mute priest in Asia. 

Fr. Pat overcame significant challenges to achieve ordination, including being rejected by multiple seminaries before finding an American institution that accepted him.

“I have today our special guest from Korea: Father Pat, who is deaf and mute since his childhood. He wants to serve others among the mute and the deaf, but no single seminary would accept him as [a] seminarian until after years he found that [an] America-based seminary gave him the access to study and finally [be] ordained,” the prelate said.

The bishop recounted a lighthearted moment from a previous meeting with Fr. Pat: “Last year, I met him and jokingly he said to me, ‘One day you will likely become a bishop, and if it really happens, I will travel to Surabaya to attend your episcopal ordination.’”

Commitment to serve all
Bishop Utomo emphasized his commitment to inclusivity, especially for people with disabilities. “I am very happy today that Surabaya Diocese’s Catholic Congregation is now becoming more friendly to those disabled people. Let’s move forward to change our rectory, our priests, our religious communities to become more and more friendly to others,” he said.

His humility and focus on service have left a strong impression on many. LiCAS News previously met the new bishop in December during a casual gathering at St. Laurentius Minor Seminary in Ketapang, West Kalimantan. 

He was described as a hospitable and friendly figure by those who know him.--licas.news