Yogyakartans pay homage to Romo Mangun
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people here paid homage on Thursday to the Catholic priest, social worker, writer and architect Y.B. Mangunwijaya, who died at 69 of heart failure in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Romo Mangun, as the respected priest was affectionately called, will be buried Friday noon at the Catholic cemetery in the Santo Paulus seminary complex in Kentungan here.
Semarang Archbishop Ignatius Soeharyo will preside over Romo Mangun's funeral.
Television reports said residents along the Code River here, with whom Romo Mangun joined in their struggle against eviction, were to suspend business for two days to show respect for the late priest.
They still inhabit their colorful homes in the settlement for which Romo Mangun received the Geneva-based Prince Aga Khan award.
His body left Jakarta on an Air Force C-130 Hercules plane at around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
A number of Catholic priests, including noted priest Ignatius Sandyawan Sumardi, also traveled on the plane.
From the Adisutjipto airport here, his body was driven to Panti Rapih hospital, where hundreds of doctors, nurses, employees and patients offered their prayers.
Romo Mangun, born in the Central Java town of Ambarawa on May 6, 1929, was a member of the hospital's advisory board.
At around 2:30 p.m., the body was moved to Santo Fransiskus Xaverius church on the southern side of the famed Jl. Malioboro.
From the afternoon until evening, thousands lined up to enter the church. Romo Mangun dedicated most of his lifetime to working with the poor in the ancient town.
He had not left the church to live among them as earlier reported, but was relieved from parochial duties by a special decree signed by the Archbishop of Semarang.
Among the crowds on Thursday were leading politician Amien Rais, former rector of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University Koesnadi Hardjasumantri and East Java Bishop Hadiwikarta.
Amien said at the church, "(Romo Mangun's) thoughts were ahead of the times." He cited Romo Mangun's goal of a federal state for Indonesia, which the priest believed could be reached by the year 2045.
Last month saw the publication of the priest's latest book, Menuju Republik Indonesia Serikat (Toward the Republic of the United States of Indonesia).
In tears, Koesnadi said Romo Mangun was a rare man among intellectuals who dared speak the truth.
"He was a thinker of reform," Koesnadi added.
A 20-meter banner in front of the church was seen, which read "May God bless you and keep you." (23/44/aan)