Pope Francis convened his last consistory on October 6, 2024. Two months later, the Pope announced the list of those who would become cardinals. Among them was this name…
POPE FRANCIS
His Excellency Msgr. Paskalis Bruno Syukur, Bishop of Bogor, Indonesia.
He was going to become the fourth cardinal of Indonesia, an Asian country where almost 90% of the population is Muslim and only around 3% is Catholic.
It is very likely that Pope Francis made this decision during his visit to the country. It was in September 2024, when he undertook the longest trip of his pontificate to Asia and Oceania, and his first stop was Indonesia.
However, a surprise came on October 22. The Holy See announced that this Indonesian bishop had declined the cardinal’s biretta. The reason he gave was his desire to grow further in priestly life and in his service to the Church.
And now, there's a second surprise. Pope Leo XIV has accepted this Bishop of Bogor's resignation from pastoral governance and has not appointed a successor, but rather an apostolic administrator while Rome decides the future of the diocese.
According to the official website of the diocese, this change of course appears to come directly from the Vatican. In his farewell, the bishop stated the following:
Behind every administrative decision, I believe there are God's hands knitting His plan. I accept this with inner joy because obedience to the Holy See is a promise that He holds fastWhat is most surprising about this resignation is the bishop's age. He is only 63 years old—12 years younger than the common retirement age of clergy. According to canon law, a bishop is required to submit his resignation at the age of 75, although there can be exceptional cases, whether for personal reasons or pastoral considerations.
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Trans. CRT
