Romo Mangun's religiosity is beyond all boundaries

Romo Mangun's religiosity is beyond all boundaries

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): He never dreams of reaching the stars. He never
feels he creates masterpieces. He never expects any reward for
the things he has done.

What is important to Father Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya,
popularly known as Romo Mangun, is that a piece of work must
reveal its truth and beauty, and its value to humanity.

But miracles seem to follow him. Like it or not, he has
received many awards for his accomplishments.

In the last two decades, Romo Mangun has received a
humanitarian award from the Indonesian Legal Institute, two "most
distinguished architect" awards from the Indonesian Architect
Association, and an award from the Geneva-based Prince Aga Khan
Foundation for his kampung improvement project along the Code
river in Yogyakarta.

Romo Mangun is also a literary man. In l981, his work, Burung-
Burung Manyar received the Southeast Asian Literary Award. He
also wrote Puntung-Puntung Roro Mendut, Burung-Burung Rantau and
Durga Umayi.

This afternoon, a committee from the Professor Teeuw
Foundation is to award Romo Mangun the highest prize for his
achievements in the Indonesian literary world.

The prize is aimed at encouraging local literary ambitions.
Since its establishment in l992, the foundation has awarded two
Indonesian scholars -- Goenawan Mohammad, poet and former editor-
in-chief of banned Tempo magazine (l992), and Dr. Harry Peoze,
editor of KITLV (l994). Romo Mangun will be the third recipient.

Koenadi Hardjasoemantri, chairman of the committee, said that
Romo Mangun deserved this prize for his strong commitment to
promoting humanitarian ideas.

Sutan Syahrir

His role model was Sutan Syahrir, Indonesia's first prime
minister and a great scholar. To him, Syahrir was a truly free
man, a man who had successfully freed himself from bondage,
emotional, intellectual and material.

Romo Mangun's clear and original ideas in his speeches,
essays, sermons, and novels spiritually enrich the people of
Indonesia, Koesnadi said.

Who is Romo Mangun ?

He was born 67 years ago to Javanese nobility in Ambarawa,
Central Java as Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya. Like other teenagers
in the independence period, young Mangunwijaya joined the
Indonesian Student Army and between l945 and l951 served in
Semarang, Central Java. During his army period, he was once asked
to help prepare food for Major Soeharto (now President Soeharto)
on the Mraggen front.

It was his commander, the late Mas Isman, which gave his life
another direction. In l951, Mas Isman and his troops entered
Yogyakarta after their victory over the Dutch. The people of
Yogyakarta cheered the commander. But what did the commander say?
"Don't cheer me, cheer these young soldiers, for they will be
useful in the future," recalled Romo Mangun.

"That speech haunts me still. I want to be useful," he
reminisced. As a devout Catholic, he chose to become a priest. In
l959, he joined Sancti Pauli seminary in Yogyakarta.

But that was not enough. He wanted to do more. He was asked to
study architecture at Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische
Hochschule in Aachen, Germany. He graduated in l966.

In l978, Romo Mangun went to the United States as a fellow at
the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies in Colorado.

His wide range of activities have born sweet fruit. He has
many friends from different walks of life.

In a special gathering organized by Kompas to celebrate Romo
Mangun's 65th birthday in Yogyakarta two years ago, his closest
friends tried to reveal their feelings toward this Catholic
priest.

Meeting

Attending the meeting were Moslem leaders, Hindu and Buddha
leaders, politicians, scholars, artists, educators, human rights
activists.

Cici Asegaf, a devout Moslem girl, said in the meeting that
she was impressed by Romo Mangun's genuine attention. She was a
volunteer working with the father in the kampung improvement
program along Kali Code in Yogyakarta. On a very hot day, she
remembered how Romo Mangun sheltered her from the heat of the sun
with his own umbrella.

Andi Siswanto, an architect, commented, "As an architect, Romo
Mangun has proven that he is not just a designer, but that he has
mastered all kinds of architectural ideas and philosophies. His
concept is reflected in works like Sendang Sono, a religious site
NGGAK NGERTI - GEREJA YA..near Magelang, Central Java and Kali
Code kampung improvement program.

One of Romo Mangun's best friends, Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus
Dur, chairman of Nadhatul Ulama (NU), praises him for being so
consistent in his faith. Romo Mangun has successfully transformed
formal religious rules into his way of life. He rarely preaches
formal Catholicism to his followers. But he lets them feel it
through his daily activities. "His religiosity is beyond all
doubt," added Gus Dur.

Romo Mangun, Gus Dur said, opposes Church feudalism.

"All kinds of feudalism are basically discrimination. One
group being superior to the others. Romo Mangun introduced a new
theology which eliminates all forms of distinction and
discrimination. This is Romo's great contribution to the
country's religious life," Gus Dur said.

His religiosity is also reflected in his social activities. He
chose to leave the church and live with the outcast community --
thieves, prostitutes, the homeless, street children living along
Kali Code in Yogyakarta.

"What the poor need is dignity more than material things,"
Romo Mangun once said.

He succeeded in giving these outcasts a sense of self-esteem.
He transformed crime-ridden Kali Code into a comfortable place
for the outcasts.

Moch. Sobary, a researcher at the Indonesian Science Institute
and a friend of Romo Mangun's, praised him, saying that he had
disseminated Christian virtues among the Kali Code people without
forcing them to become Christians. They remain faithful Moslems
or devout Hindus.

When he received the Aga Khan Award for his Kali Code project,
he was quite surprised that an Islamic foundation was giving such
a high honor to a Catholic priest.

But one of the committee members explained that he has helped
people in a country where 90 percent of the population are
Moslems.

To help people help themselves is Romo Mangun's philosophy of
life.