Name Joseph Suwatan | Role Bishop | |
Joseph Theodorus Suwatan M.S.C. (born April 10, 1940) is an Indonesian Roman Catholic priest and as of 2010 the bishop of the diocese Manado.
Biography
Suwatan was born in Tegal on April 10, 1940, was ordained a priest of the Order Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on January 8, 1969. Consecrated bishop of Manado on June 29, 1990.
Bishop Suwatan had many roles in Poso riots in Poso, Central Sulawesi. In 2001 he urged the international community to prevent genocide in Poso. He also led the celebration of the Eucharist to give last respects to Father Tarcisius Dewanto, SJ, a member of the Society of Jesus Province of Indonesia, which involved a victim of violence in East Timor, in the complex Church of Nossa Senhora de Fatima, Suai on 6 or 7 September 1999.
Before that, in his capacity as chairman of KWI (Bishops' Conference of Indonesia) - and in connection with the anniversary of Indonesian independence in 1999 - he wrote a harsh statement condemning the leaders of countries that fail to serve the interests of the people, and called for an end widespread corruption within the government.