Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
by Paolo Affatato
Jakarta (Fides News Agency) - Indonesia's mass media are preparing for the Pope's visit as attention increases within the realm of culture and among the entire population for the pontiff's presence in the country where, on September 2, his apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania in Indonesia will begin. The press has over 730 accredited journalists, mostly Indonesians, others from neighboring countries or from the large delegation of international media (including the 88 on board the papal plane) who will follow the events in Jakarta such as the Mass in the national stadium, the meeting in the Cathedral, the interreligious meeting in the Istiqlal mosque. Here, as Cardinal Suharyo confirmed, the Pope will sign, along with other religious leaders, a declaration on tolerance and fraternity inspired by the Abu Dhabi Document.
The great attention developing in Indonesian society is also noted by the multiplication of books and publications about the pontiff in the Indonesian language (the Bahasha): the book by Father Valentino Robi Lesak, an Indonesian Vocationist, entitled "“The auspicious words of Pope Francis”" compiles a selection of interventions, messages, homilies, speeches by Pope Francis on topics such as fraternity, dialogue, human trafficking, migrants , caring for the environment. Two other books in Bahasa about the Pope have been presented in recent days at Atma Jaya University: one, which includes writings by researchers, theologians and academics, is entitled "Miserando atque eligendo" and, in evoking the Pope's motto, it explains, comments and modernizes various aspects of Pope Francis's magisterium.
A unique experiment is instead the second text, entitled "Salve peregrinans spei", set down entirely by Muslim scholars and religious leaders who appreciate the words of Pope Francis, noting that, especially by virtue of the encyclical letter "Fratelli tutti" and the Abu Dhabi Document, Christians and Muslims promote respect, tolerance, peace, and harmony in society. In the text, Muslim scholars argue that the Pope's presence in Indonesia will bring to light that face of Indonesian Islam based on the concept of "moderation" and that this, by osmosis, may have an impact on reducing religious conflicts all around the world.
Among the Indonesian mass media, the most important group in the field in terms of audience and entrepreneurship is "Kompas Gramedia" which has Catholic roots and which still maintains values linked to Christianity. 60 years after its foundation, "Kompas gramedia" has become a multisectoral company, able to expand not only in the field of communication (TV, radio, press, digital) but also in other sectors such as publishing and bookstores, education (through universities and training institutes), the hotel market, the organization of major events (such as the G20 or Moto GP, concerts), manufacturing, real estate: a corporation counting a total of around 19,000 employees.
"Kompas is a group that shows how one can do business in Indonesia, at the highest levels, with a Christian spirit, a spirit that still lives on today," Glory Oyong - Corporate Communications Director at "Kompas Gramedia" - told Fides News Agency.
The Kompas history timeline started in 1965. "At that time, within a mixed political landscape, General Ahmad Yani, a member of the government, suggested to Frans Seda, a Catholic minister in Sukarno's government, that the Catholic community should create a news agency to balance, confront and compete with media linked to the Communist Party or to other realities such as Muslim communities." Professionals such as P.K. Ojong, who had experience as editor of "Star Weekly", and Jakob Oetama, one of the leaders of the Catholic magazine "Penabur", were chosen to lead this new initiative.
With the consent of Indonesian President Sukarno, they set about creating a new newspaper that was initially supposed to be called "Bentara Rakyat" (The People's Messenger), but then "it was President Sukarno who suggested the name Kompas" (The Compass). Once the minimum number of 5,000 subscribers was reached, the newspaper "Kompas" was born, and "received its initial funding and significant cultural and moral support from Bishops and from the Catholic community". However, it has never been a party newspaper or a denominational one, "but has always maintained a generalist and inclusive nature. Even when it comes to the recruitment of employees and journalists, it has always been a 'mini-Indonesia', reflecting the pluralistic nature of our nation". Glory Ojong noted: “Kompas operates with the mission of serving the common good, guided by its motto 'Amanat Hati Nurani Rakyat', that is, to respect the conscience of the people.” "We put people first; their needs, expectations, the needs of the poor, and we also have an educational mission, inherent in the name, that is, giving guidance," she noted. "The Kompas group, in all its divisions – she observed - is not just a company that aims at profit. We want to take care of people, while caring about human dignity, solidarity, practicing our Christian values, daily, in our work. "
The newspaper Kompas published its first issue on 28 June 1965 from an office in downtown Jakarta. Its circulation increased from 4,800 copies in 1965 to around 500,000 in 2014. Since 1969, Kompas has been the country's largest national Indonesian-language paper. "In Indonesia we are now the first news channel in terms of ratings, we are active on the radio, TV, the Internet, and also on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok". This entire media system, Ojong assures, "will be at the service of Pope Francis's visit." Kompas is involved in the Organizing Committee and "serves as a bridge with other Indonesian and international media". The TV will broadcast the events related to the pontiff live, allowing the general public to grasp his words, gestures, connotations. "It will also be – she remarked - a service to young people, who live their lives on social media, and therein will be able to breathe the spirit of unity, in accordance with our national motto, unity in diversity. Our communications serve this vision.”
(Fides News Agency 30/8/2024)
