Memoria passionis of the Vincentian missionaries during the Japanese invasion : a glimpse of the 100 years of the Lazarists’ mission in Indonesia

Riyanto, Armada (author)

This historical study of the mission addresses the memoria passionis (memory ofsuffering) of the Vincentian Missionaries during the Japanese invasion (1941‒1945). The first Dutch Lazarists (Vincentians) arrived in Indonesia in 1923 and began to work to establish the Diocese of Surabaya as mandated by the Propaganda Fide. In the next twenty years(1923‒1943) Surabaya was erected as a prefecture (1928) then vicariate (1941) with an increasing number of the Catholics. But all the missionary efforts of evangelization seemed to be halted by the bloody Japanese invasion. From the very beginning of the invasion, the Kempetai (the Japanese Military Police Corps) arrested the Dutch or other Europeans and interned them in camps and confiscated the Catholic buildings. This is a dark moment for the missionaries and the mission in Indonesia. The title of this study borrows a theological expression from JB Metz, memoria passionis (Metz 2007), and demonstrates it in action with accounts of the Lazarists’ mission under the Japanese occupation in Indonesia. The study utilizes the methodology of listening to the narratives of suffering from the excerpts of manuscripts discovered in the archives. From thisstudy, we found that the Vincentians were persevering, test resistant and diligently continued along with the lay people to restore the mission in the vicariate. Their sufferings did not only put them in the way of martyria but also inspired people to participate more actively to rebuild the mission and eventually render a theological impact to form the Catholic Church of Surabaya to have strong participation by the laity.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Memoria passionis, internment, narrative, Vincentian missionaries, Vicariate of Surabaya
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2023
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 103-124
• Numbering: Letn. 83, [št.] 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-164162
• UDC: 27-789.63(594)“1941/1945“
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2023/01/Riyanto
• COBISS.SI-ID: 159589123
• Publication date in RUL: 17.10.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Bogoslovna akademija, Bogoslovna akademija, Teološka fakulteta v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Memoria passionis misijonarjev iz vrst lazaristov med japonsko invazijo : utrinek iz stoletnega misijona lazaristov v Indoneziji

Abstract

Zgodovinska študija o misijonih obravnava memoria passionis (spomin na trpljenje) misijonarjev iz vrst lazaristov med japonsko invazijo (1941–1945). Prvi nizozemski lazaristi (vincencijanci) so prišli v Indonezijo leta 1923 in si po naročilu kongregacije za širjenje vere (De propaganda fide)začeli prizadevati za vzpostavitev Surabajske škofije. V naslednjih dvajsetih letih (1923–1943)je bila Surabaja povzdignjena v prefekturo (1928),z naraščajočim številom katoliških vernikov pa v vikariat (1941). Toda zdelo se je, kot da je ves misijonarski trud za evangelizacijo ustavila krvava japonska invazija. Že ob začetku invazije je kempetai (japonska vojaška policija) aretiral Nizozemce in druge Evropejce, jih interniral v taborišča in zasegel katoliške stavbe. To je bil za misijonarje in misijone v Indoneziji mračen trenutek. Naslov prispevka prevzema teološki izraz J. B. Metza (2007) memoria passionis in ga uporablja v analizi poročil o misijonih lazaristov pod japonsko zasedbo v Indoneziji. Prispevek uporablja metodologijo poslušanja pripovedi o trpljenju, ki izhaja iz odlomkov rokopisov, odkritih v arhivih. Ugotavljamo, da so bili lazaristi vztrajni, odporni na preizkušnje: vestno so nadaljevali delo zlaikiza obnovitev misijonov v vikariatu. Trpljenje jih nizgolj vodilo na pot mučeništva, temveč je druge navdihnilo k dejavni obnovi misijonov – kar je naposled pomenilo teološki prispevek k oblikovanju katoliške Cerkve v Surabajiz močnim sodelovanjem laikov.

• Keywords: Memoria passionis, internacija, pripoved, misijonarji iz vrst lazaristov, Surabajski vikariat