YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — At a time when the world is increasingly marked by war, violence, polarization, and a deep sense of helplessness, the Church needs priests who embrace rather than condemn. That was the central message as five Jesuit deacons were ordained to the priesthood during a Eucharistic celebration at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kotabaru, Yogyakarta, on July 29.
The ordination was conferred by Bishop Emeritus Petrus Boddeng Timang of Banjarmasin and attended by Superior General of the Society of Jesus Father Arturo Sosa, SJ; Indonesian Jesuit Provincial Father Albertus Bagus Laksana, SJ; Rector of the College of St. Ignatius Father Kuntoro Adi, SJ; together with hundreds of priests, religious, family members, and faithful.
The newly ordained priests are Andreas Agung Nugroho, SJ; Dionisius Amadea Prajna Putra Mahardika, SJ; Filipus Frederick Ray Popo, SJ; Gregorius Agung Satriyo Wibisono, SJ; and Klaus Heinrich Raditio, SJ.
Opening his homily, Bishop Timang admitted that he felt nervous—not because of the distinguished guests or the large number of Jesuits present, but because he found the personal reflections written by the five ordinands in the ordination booklet so profound that he wondered what more he could add. He praised this year’s ordination theme, “Misericordiam Volo” (“I Desire Mercy,” Matthew 12:7), which was paired with the Gospel image of Jesus as a mother hen gathering her chicks beneath her wings. For the bishop, that image captures the vocation of a priest today: to become a place of refuge for those who are wounded and vulnerable.
Reflecting on the Gospel, Bishop Timang invited the congregation to confront the realities of today’s world. Every day, he said, news reports are filled with war, violence, hatred, and destruction. Humanity is experiencing what he described as a “globalization of powerlessness,” a condition in which feelings of helplessness spread across every social class, generation, and profession. Even families, he noted, are not immune from violence. In such a world, priests are called not to deepen people’s wounds but to make God’s mercy visible.
The bishop also reflected on the culture of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), which drives many people to seek recognition, popularity, and constant visibility. The five ordinands, however, have chosen the opposite path—a “joy of missing out.” By embracing priesthood, they willingly set aside many attractive opportunities in order to respond to Christ’s call. Their liturgical response, “Adsum” (“Here I am”), he said, is far more than a ceremonial formula; it is the complete offering of one’s life for God’s mission.
Bishop Timang then connected his message with Pope Leo XIV’s recent video address to participants at the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) in Jakarta. The Pope called on the Church in Asia to become a builder of bridges in a fractured world. According to Bishop Timang, the five new priests are now entrusted with that very mission: to become ministers of reconciliation and mercy amid fear, division, and uncertainty. As priests, they are called to act in persona Christi, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, making Christ’s compassionate presence tangible for God’s people.
Concluding his homily, Bishop Timang urged the faithful not to see the ordination as the loss of five talented young men, but rather as a sign of hope. Their willingness to give their lives for the Gospel demonstrates that God continues to call generous hearts even in an anxious age. Quoting theologian Karl Rahner, he said that the Church today needs “mystics”—people whose lives are rooted in a genuine experience of God. Like the mother hen in the Gospel, priests are called to shelter those who are confused, abandoned, and searching for hope.
That vision immediately took concrete form at the end of the liturgy when Indonesian Jesuit Provincial Father Albertus Bagus Laksana announced the first apostolic assignments of the newly ordained priests. He emphasized that ordination is not the end of formation but the beginning of mission. Recalling Father Arturo Sosa’s remarks, Father Bagus said the ordination theme, “Misericordiam Volo,” beautifully reflects the Society of Jesus’ universal mission of reconciliation in a world wounded by conflict, injustice, and division.
The first assignments reflect the diverse apostolic needs of the Society of Jesus. Father Filipus Frederick Ray Popo, SJ, has been sent to pursue doctoral studies in philosophy at Brown University in the United States. Father Dionisius Amadea Prajna Putra Mahardika, SJ, will undertake doctoral studies in theology at Santa Clara University in California. Father Andreas Agung Nugroho, SJ, has been appointed associate pastor of St. Peter Canisius International Parish in Jakarta while also contributing to intellectual ministry and reflection on Asian geopolitics. Father Gregorius Agung Satriyo Wibisono, SJ, has been assigned as a formator at Mertoyudan Minor Seminary to accompany future candidates for the priesthood, while Father Klaus Heinrich Raditio, SJ, has received an assignment in the Society’s educational at Driyarkara School of Philosophy as a teacher and youth ministries according to apostolic needs.
In his closing remarks, Father Bagus reminded the congregation that while the ordination of five new priests is a cause for thanksgiving, the Church still needs many more laborers for the Lord’s harvest. He invited the faithful to continue praying for the newly ordained priests so that they may remain faithful to their vocation, and he expressed gratitude to their families for offering their sons in service to the Church. Their continued support, he said, will strengthen these young Jesuits as they bring God’s mercy wherever they are sent.
The celebration made clear that Misericordiam Volo is more than an ordination motto. It is a way of life. From the altar to the world, these five newly ordained Jesuits have been sent to become bridge-builders, companions of the wounded, servants of reconciliation, and living witnesses to God’s boundless mercy in a world longing for hope.
