Priest turns his pen to politics<\/p>\n
Politik Hati Nurani (Politics of Conscience);
\nBy Y.B. Mangunwijaya;
\nGrafiasri Mukti, Jakarta 1997;
\nxii + 119 pp;
\nRp 8,000<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Many have branded politics as contemptible.
\nEthics, they say, are in short supply, if not entirely absent
\nfrom the dirty dealings in the halls of power.<\/p>\n
Others counter that ethical choices depend on the scruples of
\nthe politicians.<\/p>\n
As in every dimension of life, in politics the involvement of
\none's conscience is vital. The conscience deserves to be heard
\nand considered thoroughly in order to exert control over reason.
\nEasier said than done; only those who continuously examine their
\nconscience can deem whether something is improper or unethical.<\/p>\n
Getting involved in practical politics in a bid for power is
\nhardly a speciality of Father Yusuf Biljarta Mangunwijaya (known
\nas Romo Mangun) as a Catholic priest. He is interested in
\npolitics or, rather, moral politics related to public welfare.
\nThis is a type of politics of responsibility that transcends all
\nborders of ethnicity, religion and social class.<\/p>\n
His selected writings are expressions of his concern about
\ndemocracy in Indonesia, touching on subjects such as the outlawed
\nPeople's Democratic Party (PRD), East Timor and the related
\ncontroversy of the Nobel Prize awarded in 1997 to Bishop Carlos
\nFelipe Ximenes Belo and East Timor's independence campaigner
\nRamos Horta.<\/p>\n
Among his 25 articles are some which most of the mainstream
\nmedia did not dare publish, but which were accessible on the
\nInternet.<\/p>\n
These deal with the PRD, and were sent to the Internet and
\ndownloaded by the interactive news publication, Siar, and the
\nstudent tabloid of the Bandung Institute of Technology,
\nBoulevard, in the second week of November 1996.<\/p>\n
Others include Bishop Belo, Politics and Morals of the
\nFaithful and Priests Are Not Allowed to Conduct Politics.<\/p>\n
The other writings have been published in various media such
\nas the Kompas and Jawa Pos dailies, and the Hidup Catholic
\nmagazine.<\/p>\n
Language in his writings is simple, straightforward and with
\ndeep and critical meaning. He speaks his mind; in disturbing
\nmatters, no self-censorship is apparent.<\/p>\n
Mangunwijaya, also a well-known novelist, is conscious of his
\naudacity. \"They (the media) run greater risks than I. I have
\nnothing to lose,\" he is quoted as saying by journalist Ignatius
\nHaryanto.<\/p>\n
Mangunwijaya's writings place the media in a dilemma in the
\npast. While it would be a pity not to publish such articles,
\ntheir publication would directly place the media company in
\nconflict with the censors who for years had free rein to ban
\npublications, such as the magazines Tempo and Editor, and the
\nDetik tabloid in 1994.<\/p>\n
The editor notes Mangunwijaya's response to the July 27, 1996,
\nstorming of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in
\nJakarta and the violence that ensued, until the bestowing of the
\nNobel Prize on Belo, was through a prolific outpouring of
\nwriting.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes in my reflections I see myself as a guerrilla, like
\nin the war of independence. If there is tension in the air, I
\nfeel I am alive,\" the priest is quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
East Timor is a subject of particular attraction. Of the 26
\narticles, 14 are on East Timor, through which Mangunwijaya says
\nhe wants to give voice to the voiceless.<\/p>\n
Followers of his writings know he is not just a head-in-the-
\nclouds idealist, but an architect of principle who practices what
\nhe preaches.<\/p>\n
He managed to halt the eviction of residents along the Code
\nRiver in Yogyakarta, and he assisted villagers of Kedung Ombo who
\nhad to make way in the name of development for a dam. He helped
\ndesigned more architecturally sound houses in Flores so the
\nislanders would not relive the death and destruction of a 1992
\ntidal wave.<\/p>\n
This book gives readers a close look at Mangunwijaya's
\npersonality and concerns. The priest, born in Ambarawa, Central
\nJava, 68 years ago, invites the reader to use the power of his or
\nher conscience in each step of life, including the maligned arena
\npolitics.<\/p>\n
When the conscience is allowed to speak, the dirt of unsavory
\npolitical practices will be shouted down.<\/p>\n
-- E. Dapa Loka<\/p>\n
The writer is a freelancer based in Yogyakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/priest-turns-his-pen-to-politics-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }