KWI renews fight against 'moral decadence'

KWI renews fight against 'moral decadence'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Catholic Church is urging a joint movement with other
religious communities to develop a new culture needed to fight
what it calls the prevailing moral deterioration.

Chairman of the Indonesian Conference of Bishops (KWI)
Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja told a press conference on Tuesday
that the Catholic community as an integral part of the nation and
the state had to shoulder some of the burden because they had
contributed to this moral decadence.

"The Catholic Church has been deeply concerned not only about
problems and issues coming to the surface, but also about the
root causes of moral deterioration," Darmaatmadja said.

Moral decadence was evident in rampant corruption, use of
violence and environmental destruction, but the core problem was
the nation's eroded mentality, he said.

"A joint movement among religious communities is much needed
to create internal reform and to encourage people to behave
well," he said.

Darmaatmadja, also the archbishop of Jakarta Diocese, said the
role the Catholic community would play in building this new
culture would be discussed at a Grand Synod scheduled for Nov.
16-20 in Caringin, Bogor, West Java.

Some 400 bishops, priests and laymen from 36 dioceses across
the country will participate at the conference. The synod will
follow up the 2004 pastoral note on public civilization towards a
new national character.

Darmaatmadja said that in accordance with the pastoral note,
the synod would devote more time for youth to speak and to
formulate the role they would play in creating the new culture.

"The youth are closer to their own age. The synod will give a
special place for them and the old generation will listen to
them. We hope the younger generation can launch a major movement
with other religious communities to found the new culture," he
said.

KWI secretary-general Mgr. Ignatius Suharyo said through the
synod, Catholic leaders would ask religious people of all faiths
to seek a radical commitment to fighting moral deterioration.

"Responding to moral decadence, many have been apathetic and
many others have become angry, which has made us vulnerable to
acts of fundamentalism. The Catholic Church does not want either,
therefore it is trying to help create the new human character and
culture," he said.