PANGKAL-PINANG: More than 11,000 bishops, priests and lay Catholics gathered on Sept. 23 for the episcopal ordination of Bishop Adrianus Sunarko of Pangkal-Pinang in Indonesia's Bangka-Belitung Islands.

The pope appointed the priest, who was the Franciscan provincial superior of Indonesia and the president of the Conference of Men Major Superiors of Indonesia, as the bishop on June 28.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Archbishop Aloysius Sudarso of Palembang, Bishop Yohanes Harun Yuwono of Tanjungkarang and Franciscan Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar of Jayapura concelebrated at the ordination Mass in Depati Amir Stadium in Pangkal-Pinang.

The new prelate — who chose the Latin phrase Laetentur insulae multae (let the many islands be glad) as his episcopal motto, quoted a verse taken from the Book of Isaiah.

"It is relevant to what I was going through when the then Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi told me that Pope Francis had appointed me as bishop of Pangkal-Pinang. This shows that it is not my thoughts," he said.

Bishop Sunarko was born on Dec. 7, 1966 in Merauke, Papua. He attended St. Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Mertoyudan, Central Java. He finished his philosophy and theology courses at the Wedhabhakti Pontifical Faculty in Yogyakarta.

He took his perpetual vows as a member of the Order of Friars Minor on Aug. 15, 1994 and was ordained a priest on July 8, the following year.--Ucanews.Com