In a rare gesture of respect, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Jakarta Cathedral last week to pay tribute to the late Archbishop Emeritus Petrus “Piet” Turang.
Archbishop Turang, former head of the Archdiocese of Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), died at a hospital in Jakarta after battling severe kidney failure.
He had been undergoing regular hemodialysis treatments in recent months due to the worsening condition of his kidneys.
The visit marked a significant moment, as it is unusual for the nation’s top leader to pay respects at a Catholic cathedral.
The last such occasion occurred in February 1999, when then-President Prof. BJ Habibie attended the wake of Fr. JB Mangunwijaya, a renowned humanitarian and educator, at the same cathedral.
Both Habibie and Fr. Mangunwijaya studied in Germany, where the priest earned a degree in architecture in Aachen and Habibie pursued research in aeronautics.
President Prabowo’s visit to the cathedral was also a personal one.
He is known to have shared a close bond with Archbishop Turang, rooted in their shared ancestral ties to North Sulawesi.
Archbishop Turang was born in Tataaran, Tondano Regency, while President Prabowo’s mother also came from the region.
During past presidential elections in 2014 and 2019, most Indonesian bishops supported then-candidate Joko Widodo.
However, Archbishop Turang was among the few who publicly backed Gen. Prabowo Subianto, despite his eventual defeats in both contests.
Beyond his pastoral leadership, Archbishop Turang played a quiet but significant role in Indonesia’s diplomatic and reconciliation efforts in the region.
He was appointed one of the five Indonesian representatives to the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF), a bilateral body established by Indonesia and Timor-Leste to address the human rights violations and trauma stemming from the 1999 conflict during East Timor’s separation from Indonesia.
“Mgr. Turang’s involvement in this commission was far from symbolic. The inclusion of a religious leader in the team was crucial to bringing a moral, ethical, and humanitarian perspective to addressing serious issues such as human rights violations and historical trauma,” said Father Yance Mangkey, a fellow native from North Sulawesi and senior priest of the MSC Indonesian Province.
“A figure like him helped balance the military, legal, and political viewpoints with true values of reconciliation,” the priest added.
His appointment to the commission, according to observers, underscored the Indonesian government’s trust in him—not only as a religious leader but also as a figure of integrity capable of bridging the gap between two nations with a painful shared past.
Despite the significance of his role, his contribution to reconciliation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste remains underrecognized today.
The prelate’s body was flown to Kupang, where local Catholics are expected to pay their final respects at Christ the King Cathedral. He will be laid to rest on Tuesday.
