Archdiocese Semarang Term ended 3 July 1981 Metropolis Semarang | Appointed 10 December 1963 Province Semarang Name Justinus Darmojuwono Ordination May 25, 1947 | |
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Church The Church of Saint Virgin Mary The Queen of Holy Rosary, Semarang Alma mater | ||
Predecessor Albert Soegijapranata | ||
HUT IMAMAT KE-43 +Ignatius Suharyo
Justinus Darmojuwono (2 November 1914 – 3 February 1994) was an Indonesian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Semarang from 1963 to 1981, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1967, becoming the first Indonesian to be a cardinal.
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Early life
Justinus Darmojuwono was born in Klewonan, Godean, Yogyakarta. Son of Surodikira and Ngatinah, his early life as an ordinary villager son was really happy and he was really proud of it. He and his family work together to fulfill their daily needs. He was first a Muslim, but then he converted to Catholicism in 1932 following his brother's conversion. Actually, Justinus Darmojuwono did not get permission to be a priest from his father. But, because of his strong self-determination to become a priest, his father allowed him to go to Seminary on 30 September 1935. After he graduated from Minor Seminary of Mertoyudan, Magelang, he continued to the Major Seminary of St. Paul, Yogyakarta. He was ordained priest by Mgr. Soegijapranata in Kotabaru, Yogyakarta in 1947. He also went to Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
As priest
After ordination, he was firstly appointed to serve at Kidul Loji Church, Yogyakarta for 35 days. Then, he was ordered to serve at Ganjuran Church to take care of Seminary student because the Minor Seminary was destroyed and the Vicariate Apostolic of Semarang ordered the Seminary students to be on Ganjuran church. In the middle of 1950, Darmojuwono was appointed to serve at St. Mary of Assumption Church, Klaten, and also to serve as a military curate. At the time, The Military Commander was Suharto, then the President of Indonesia.
From Klaten, then he moved to Surakarta in 1952. Only a few months in Surakarta, he was ordered to study misiology at Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. After he returned from Rome, he became a curate in Purbayan, Surakarta, and also serve as a Military Curate. Then, he was ordered to establish a new church in 1961, and after that he was appointed to serve as a parish priest at the same church. The church later named Maria Regina Purbawardayan Church.
In 1962, he was appointed to serve as a parish priest at the Semarang Cathedral and also as a Vicar General of Archdiocese of Semarang. Then, Archbishop of Semarang, Mgr. Soegijapranata died on a trip to attend the Second Vatican Council. Darmojuwono was appointed Archbishop of Semarang by Pope Paul VI on 10 December 1963, and consecrated archbishop by Apostolic Nuncio Mgr. Ottavio de Liva on 6 April 1964.
As archbishop
He was ever accepted by President Sukarno at Merdeka Palace, a few moments after he was ordained archbishop of Semarang in 1964. Mr. President often called him "Romo Agung"(Great Clergyman), but actually he prefer to be called "Romo"(Clergyman).
As an archbishop, he attend the Third and Fourth Session of Second Vatican Council. When he attend the Third Council Session, Indonesia was in a grave danger. The 30 September Movement tragedy happened in 1965, and Darmojuwono was ordered to go home as soon as possible. He followed the news about G30S tragedy from abroad, and the news was very devastating. Many people was killed at the time.
As cardinal
He was appointed Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Nome di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata by Pope Paul VI on 26 June 1967, according to the College of Cardinals. The ordination was done in the Sistine Chapel. He was appointed cardinal together with Karol Wojtyla from Poland, the then Pope John Paul II. He said that he appointed cardinal because he was a Head of Supreme Council of Indonesian Bishops (MAWI), and the Head of MAWI is the primus inter pares. He attend the Papal Conclave in August 1978 which appointed Pope John Paul I, and the Papal Conclave in October 1978 which appointed Pope John Paul II. He had ever been a member of Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers. When Pope Paul VI visit Manila in 1970, he lobbying everywhere, together with Bishop Labayen from the Philippines and Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan from South Korea pioneered the establishment of FABC. Darmojuwono as a member of the Standing Committee of that conference, so he must attend the FABC meeting outside the country. Almost all Catholics in Asia at the time knows him because of his lobbying to many countries. He resigned from his post as Archbishop of Semarang in 1981 because of health reasons, and he settled at the Santa Maria Fatima Church in Banyumanik, Semarang.
Death
Mgr. Justinus Darmojuwono died on 3 February 1994 in Semarang, Indonesia. And he was buried at Kerkhoof Muntilan, cemetery for prominent Catholics at the time like Van Lith, SJ, and Beato R. Sandjaja. He became a consecrator for 13 bishops in Indonesia and became a Cardinal for 29 years in his whole life journey.