Indonesian Bishop Declines Appointment As Cardinal to ‘grow in priestly life’

The Vatican announced Tuesday evening that Pope Francis had accepted the request of Indonesian Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur, OFM, not to be made a cardinal in a December consistory as had been previously announced.

The bishop’s request “was motivated by his desire to continue growing in priestly life and in service to the Church and the people of God,” a brief message from the Holy See Press Office said.

At the beginning of October, Pope Francis announced he would create 21 new cardinals, including Syukur, at a consistory to be held Dec. 7.The 62-year-old Franciscan was consecrated bishop of Bogor, a diocese just south of Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta, in February 2014.

From 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 bishop has also held leadership positions in the Indonesian bishops’ conference.

According to the liturgical schedule released by the Vatican’s master of ceremonies Oct. 12, the ceremony to create the new cardinals — 19 eligible to be cardinal-electors — will be held in the afternoon on Dec. 7 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The following day, on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, Francis and the entire College of Cardinals will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving together in the Vatican Basilica.

With Syukur’s withdrawal, as of Dec. 7, the total number of eligible cardinal electors will be 140, 110 of whom were chosen by Pope Francis. This means the current pontiff has named 79% of the men who will one day elect his successor.