Romo Mangun dies of heart attack

Romo Mangun dies of heart attack

JAKARTA (JP): Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya -- the writer,
architect, social worker and Catholic priest popularly known as
Romo Mangun -- died of a heart attack on Wednesday, shortly after
addressing a seminar on the role of books in society's progress.

He was 69.

Kartini Nurdin, chairwoman of seminar's organizing committee,
said he was pronounced dead at 1:55 p.m.

His body will be flown to his hometown of Yogyakarta on
Thursday morning.

Romo Mangun collapsed as he was about to return to his seat at
the event organized by Yayasan Obor Indonesia at Le Meridien
hotel, Central Jakarta.

Assistance was quickly provided, including from the hotel's
doctor, but it was to no avail.

The two-day seminar centered on the "Role of Books in New
Indonesian Society". Romo Mangun addressed the second session of
the seminar, delivering a 20-page paper on the wisdom of books in
scientific and technological progress.

"He looked healthy and, as usual, was very witty and sharp,
with his light jokes," said seminar participant Samsudin Berlian
from the United Nations Development Program office in Jakarta.
"There was nothing unusual (about his appearance) until he
finished his paper."

Samsudin said the moderator's introduction included a mention
of Romo Mangun service as a guerrilla fighter during the
independence struggle in the late 1940s.

In his speech, Romo Mangun, a longtime critic of the far-
reaching military role in Indonesian politics, picked up on the
theme.

He related that he served under Army Maj. Soeharto, who later
ruled the country for 32 years and became a frequent subject of
the priest's criticism.

"In wayang (Javanese legends), the tentara (soldier) is
equated with robbery," he said in a pointed comment which drew
laughter from the audience.

President B.J. Habibie and First Lady Hasri Ainun Habibie paid
their last respects to the priest at the cathedral in Central
Jakarta on Wednesday evening.

Accompanied by Archbishop Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja,
Habibie laid a wreath in front of the coffin.

The President recounted to the cardinal that he first met Romo
Mangun when they studied together in the 1960s.

"I knew this priest as a fighter, as a peace lover, who gave
special attention to humanity," Habibie said in brief remarks.

The President bestowed a special award on the priest last
August during commemoration of National Awakening of Technology
Day at the State Palace.

Only one day later, the daily Kompas carried Romo Mangun's
open letter urging the President to liberate the East Timorese
from prolonged suffering.

"We will continue his struggle to make the nation live in
peace and love," the President said.

He also offered a plane to transport the body to Yogyakarta.

"You can use a state plane," the President told the cardinal
before ending his 10-minute visit.

In a magazine interview last year, Romo Mangun said he was not
interested in writing an autobiography, quipping "I might be
persuaded to write an anti-biography, though".

Friends were preparing a book on his life in conjunction with
his 70th birthday in May.

Noted political observer J. Soedjati Djiwandono told The
Jakarta Post on Wednesday that "a lot of writers were
contributing to the book" which would serve as a "tribute to the
man".

Soedjati, who also contributed an essay to the book, said it
was scheduled for publication in May.

He characterized Romo Mangun as "a well-rounded man, a man of
many hats and he was a very rare kind of man, and his death is a
great loss to the country".

"I think it was a beautiful death because he died during a
seminar just like Soedjatmoko," social and political observer
Mochtar Buchori said, referring to the noted scholar who died of
a heart attack during a discussion in Yogyakarta in 1989.

"Romo Mangun was a great humanist and a grass-roots worker ...
the nation will miss a very great person, I hope that the nation
will continue his noble work to educate the people to become a
more humane nation."

Mochtar first met Romo Mangun through his daughter when she
was a student at Gadjah Mada University, where the priest taught
architecture.

Meanwhile, the leader of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama
Muslim organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, said Romo Mangun was "an
honest man and one of the best intellectuals in the country".

Antara reported on Wednesday that Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe
Ximenes Belo expressed his condolences, saying Romo Mangun had
contributed "constructive ideas toward a peaceful, just and
democratic solution to the East Timor problem".

The news agency said Belo, who was accompanied by Romo Mangun
when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1996, also
planned to hold a Mass for Romo Mangun in Dili.

Romo Mangun's personal secretary, Dini, revealed in Yogyakarta
he once made a will stating his wish to donate his body to Gadjah
Mada University's medical school for research.
(emb/byg/ivy/edt/prb/23/44/Tedy Novan)