Thousands jam funeral of YB Mangunwijaya

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The city of Yogyakarta seemed to come to a halt on Friday as crowds lined the roads passed by the funeral procession of priest Y.B. Mangunwijaya.

The Catholic priest, better known as Romo Mangun, was well known as a social worker and a writer. He died at 69 from heart failure in Jakarta on Wednesday.

A crowd of about 30,000 lined seven kilometers of the procession route from the Santo Fransiskus Xaverius church south of Jl. Malioboro to the cemetery in the Santo Paulus seminary complex in the Kentungan area.

Civilian security forces from various political parties and East Timorese youths helped direct the flow of traffic for the procession of vehicles reaching over two kilometers.

The white casket decorated with flowers was lowered into the ground at 3:30 p.m. The six-hectare complex could hardly contain the mourners who had been arriving since morning from the surrounding areas of Semarang, Surakarta and Purworejo, besides Yogyakarta.

Hundreds of farmers from Magelang came in their wide hats, while dozens of residents from the former Kedung Ombo villages arrived in an open truck. The villagers had been assisted in their struggle against eviction by the late priest.

A mass was held at the church in the morning led by Semarang Archbishop Ignatius Soeharyo. Yogyakarta monarch and governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X addressed the mass, saying that Romo Mangun "dedicated his life to humanity".

Apart from officials, attendants included leading Balinese Hindu figure Gedong Oka, soothsayer Permadi and priest Ignatius Sandyawan Sumardi. The latter was not among those who traveled on the plane taking the body from Jakarta as earlier reported.

Prayers for the dead were also held by Muslims grouped in the Forum Persaudaraan Umat Beriman Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta Brotherhood Forum of the Faithful).

Crowds also paid their last respects to the late priest on Thursday at the Santo Fransiskus Xaverius church, among them Surabaya Bishop Hadiwikarta.

Lusi, a student at the local Gadjah Mada University from East Timor, said of Romo Mangun: "He was like our own father."

Another East Timorese, Joaquim, said Romo Mangun was one of few Indonesian figures he respected. "Many have spoken of East Timor, but he was among the few who went there and understands our feelings."

Until Friday afternoon, expressions of condolence had filled more than 10 two-meter-long pieces of cloth. (23/44)