By UCA News reporter
A Catholic archbishop in Indonesia has deviated from the official Church’s silence on government-sponsored geothermal projects and announced a decision to oppose them as his diocese’s policy.
Archbishop Paulus Budi Kleden of Ende announced the decision in a video message on Jan. 10 after hearing testimonies from residents near project sites.
Kleden’s archdiocese is on the Catholic-majority Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara province.
“After hearing testimonies from several people, from Sokoria and Mataloko, and discussions with several priests, I have decided to reject geothermal projects in three vicariates ,” Kleden said.
He added that during their testimonies, residents in Mataloko complained about hot mud erupting on their lands, while those in Sokoria reported that the springs in their area had died out.
Kleden stressed the need to “encourage resistance from the people and society” based on facts and scientific information.
He asked the priests at the vicariate level to speak out against the geothermal projects and seek legal aid to help the affected people.
The government designated Flores Island a geothermal spot in 2017. According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, it has a potential of 902 megawatts or 65 percent of the total capacity in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The authorities have identified 16 project sites on the island amid mounting resistance from local people.
Tadeus Sukardin, a resident of Poco Leok, said Kleden’s statement gave them hope that “the Church is on our side.”
The geothermal projects have “triggered an ecological disaster that threatens our lives,” he said.
Four residents of Poco Leok and Herry Kabut, editor-in-chief of local media outlet Floresa, were reportedly beaten up and arrested by police on Oct 2 last year.
They were protesting against the acquisition of their ancestral lands for the project. One of the arrested villagers reportedly sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized.
The island’s Catholics are opposed to geothermal projects.
They were surprised when Bishop Siprianus Hormat, in May 2020, wrote to then-President Joko Widodo backing the projects.
The protesting Catholics accused the bishop of ignoring their voices.
However, the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPIC) of the Franciscans and Divine Word congregations have expressed solidarity with the protesters.
Kleden, made bishop in August 2024, has served as the superior general of the Society of the Divine Word worldwide.
He has been known as a human rights defender since his days as a priest. As a bishop, he often spoke against human trafficking and recently launched a child-friendly pastoral program in response to increasing cases of violence against women and children. – UCA News
