By our foreign religious correspondent
Jakarta: In a rare act of humility and lowliness, Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur of Bogor (Indonesia) declined the honor of being elevated to cardinal in the en suing Consistory (Solemn meeting of Roman Catholic Cardinals convoked and presided over by the pope) on December 07, 2024.
This was perhaps the first time in the 2000-year-old history of the Church that one religious declined the honor of cardinalship offered by the Holy See (Pope) of his volition. Cardinal a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is being appointed by him as a member of the college of cardinals.
The Francis bishop’s decision to forego this prestigious role (title) stems from his desire to continue growing in his personal priesthood and to further serve the Church and the people of God. The scramble for one being elevated to cardinal is in vogue in the Catholic Church at present. As a result of declining cardinalship, the number of new cardinals set to receive their red hats (Biretta) from Pope Francis has been reduced to 20 from 21 as decided earlier.
The Vatican’s Press Office , headed by Matteo Bruni confirmed the media news in a statement at the Vatican. “His Excellency Paskalis Bruno Syukur , Bishop of Bogor, has asked the Holy Father not to be made cardinal during the ensuing Consistory. His Excellency’s request is motivated by his wish to grow further in his priestly life, in his service to the Church and the people of God, ”the statement added.
This decision has sparked interest and admiration within the Catholic world, not oly because of its rarity but also because it reflects a profound sense of humility and dedication to spiritual growth- a testament to Bishop Syukur’s Franciscan values.
The sixty-two-year-old Franciscan was consecrated bishop of Bogor, a diocese just South of Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta, in February 2014. Fromm 2001 -2009 Syukur was the Franciscan provincial minister of Indonesia. In 2009, he became the general delegate for the Asia and Oceania region, which includes India, Pakistan, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. The has also held leadership positions in the Indonesian bishop’s conference.
With Sukur’s withdrawal, as of December 07, the total number of eligible cardinal electors will be 140, 110 of whom were chosen by Pope Francis. This means that the current pontiff has named 79 per cent of the men who will one day elect his successor.
