Metropolitan Hilarion and Bishop Mark make a visit to Indonesia
Jakarta,
Indonesia- Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of
Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of
the Russian
Orthodox Church Outside Russia
(ROCOR) Archbishop of
Australia and New Zealand
arrived in Indonesia today and served a
liturgy in Jakarta were he ordained 2 Indonesians
deacons to the Priesthood. During the course of his
visit to Indonesia His Eminence will ordain 4 priests
and 1 deacon. In the ROCOR mission of Indonesia
there are already over 2500 Indonesian Orthodox
parishioners. The Dean of the Indonesian Orthodox
mission Archimandrite Daniel Byantoro held a
press-conference with
www.pravoslavie.ru
to describe the difficult situation in the rapidly
expanding Orthodox mission in Indonesia.
Indonesia
“If
there is a Russian Orthodox Theological Institution
in Moscow who can teach our parishioners and newly
ordained clergymen to preach Orthodoxy in the
Indonesian language we urge you to establish a branch
of your seminary in Indonesia. Many Indonesians will
come to learn and obtain a degree in Theology. Our
people want to be educated by the Russian Orthodox
Church in the Orthodox faith. We do not have the
capabilities to send our clergymen overseas to be
obtain a theological education in the Russian Church.
Also, Indonesians who are not Orthodox are attracted
by the prospect of a higher educated with a degree.
Through their education in a Theological Institute
they will come to the Orthodox faith.”
- Archimandrite Daniel Byantoro
Discrimination of Orthodox Christians in
Indonesia
Founder of the Indonesian Orthodox Church - Archimandrite Daniel
To
hold a church service the Fr. Daniel must gather
signatures from at least 16 Moslem neighbors who are
over the age of 19 years old. Fr. Daniel is
constantly denied permission because citizens are
against the presence of a Christian Church in their
area. The same rule applies to other Christian
denominations in the area. Some Orthodox and Catholic
parishes in the area coordinate their activities and
help each other in response of the Muslim majority.
Some places are tolerant and open but some areas of
Indonesia are very hard line Muslim. The Orthodox
avoid those areas as it is dangerous for them to
openly practice missionary activities. Fr. Daniel
says that from time to time organized violence occurs
against Orthodox Christians and it is hard to predict
when and where. The Orthodox community in Indonesia
lives in constant fear and discrimination. When Fr.
Daniel opened the Orthodox mission in Indonesia there
were many problems with the Indonesian police. Since
he has joined the ROCOR the situation with the local
administration has improved but Fr. Daniel states
that “the police are not afraid of anything,
they don’t care about anyone or
anything”. Whenever his Eminence Metropolitan
Hilarion visits his flock in Indonesia Fr. Daniel is
required to report to the authorities that he is
receiving a foreign guest for religious purposes. The
police escort the Metropolitan from the airport and
keep a close eye on him.
International Aid from Orthodox Christian
Churches
Orthodox Missionary work in Eastern Indonesia
Fr.
Daniel travels to U.S.A every month and conducts
fundraising activities amongst Orthodox Russians,
Greeks, Serbs and Antiochians. The bulk of the
financial aid that the Indonesia Orthodox Church
receives is from donors in the U.S.A. In 2007 through
the efforts of His Grace Bishop Mark of Egorievsk
organized a link between the Orthodox Community in
Indonesia and the Russian Orthodox Church of the
Moscow Patriachate. As a result of these ties Moscow
supplements the wages of the Indonesian clergy but
Fr. Daniel says that this is minimal and not enough-
“The help is not enough, not all of the priests
receive help”. For Orthodox priests in
Indonesia it is very difficult to live, being such a
strict Islamic country the Orthodox clergy cannot and
will not be employed by anybody. Indonesia is the
largest Islamic country in the world and the Orthodox
clergy are heavily discriminated against.
Orthodox Baptism in Papua
Projects
of the Indonesian Mission
The Orthodox Church in Indonesia needs financial help to
continue printing Orthodox literature, buying land and
building churches. Fr Daniel quotes, “The
possibilities for the growth of Orthodoxy in Indonesia are
huge, for a small investment into missionary work; the
returns are evident through the large number of
Indonesians converting to the Orthodox Church.”
The Indonesian Orthodox People love the shepherd of
their spiritual flock
Metropolitan Hilarion Ordinates Fr. Athanasius from Papa - (Left to Right) Fr. Daniel, Reader Alexander Paramonov, Metropolitan Hilarion, Fr. Athanasius
"We
all love Metropolitan Hilarion so much. He is so
fatherly and humble and understanding. He helps us as
much as he can in the way of financial needs, but
with more help we can bring many more Indonesians to
salvation in the Orthodox Church." -
Archimandrite Daniel Byantoro
Simeon
Boikov
www.pravoslavie.ru
Moscow 6/2009
26 июня 2009 г.
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