Act of heroism inspires Indonesian Catholics
Cathedral parking attendant s foiling of Sulawesi suicide bombers shows miracles do happen, they say
Kosmas Balembang, a parking attendant at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, is seen here shortly after he was injured in a suicide bomb attack on March 28. (Photo supplied)
Kosmas Balembang, 51, was still recovering in hospital when fellow Catholics at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, capital of Indonesia s South Sulawesi province, attended worship during Holy Week.
However, his heroism was remembered and gave people the courage to go to the church, which was the target of suicide bombers on March 28.
$20 million
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Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, offered the
building as a gift to the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, during his trip to the Muslim country in July 2019.
The ground-breaking ceremony took place on Monday in the president’s home town of Surakarta.
UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei and Dr Mohammed Al Kaabi, chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, attended the event.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque will serve as a beacon of moderate Islam for the Indonesian people
Abdulla Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Indonesia
Indonesian minister extolls virtues of moderate beliefs
Religious affairs minister calls on Catholics to support the fight against extremists
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Qolil Qoumas (white shirt), Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo and Father Agustinus Heri Wibowo (third right) at Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral Church in Jakarta during a visit by the minister on Jan. 22. (Photo courtesy of Religious Affairs Ministry)
Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Qolil Qoumas has stressed the need to cultivate moderate views across all religions to counter radicalism in society during a visit to Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral Church in Jakarta.
Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta, chairman of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), and several priests including Father Agustinus Heri Wibowo, executive secretary of KWI’s Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, welcomed the minister at the cathedral.