A woman looks out to the Indian Ocean at Meulaboh beach in Aceh province on July 12, 2020. (Photo: Chaideer Mahyuddin / AFP)
Two recent incidents shocked the Catholic Church in Indonesia's eastern islands of Timor and Lembata, Both in East Nusa Tenggara province.
In the Timor case, police on July 3 arrested Felix Nesi, a lay activist and fiction writer, reportedly for property destruction at Bitauni Presbytery. Nesi was angry that a priest, allegedly involved in sexual misconduct with a woman in his previous parish, was moved to a vocational school where there are many female students. He was worried that the girls at the school might become sexual victims of the priest. Nesi was a member of the local community of Bitauni.In late June, Yulius Arakian Sogen, a member of Kalikasa Parish in Lembata, had to face a court accused of physical violence against his female partner in April this year and previous incidents. According to Sogen, he hit his partner because he suspected her of having sex with their parish priest inside the presbytery. The Kalikasa priest was the main person behind the move for legal proceedings against Sogen.Sogen didn't deny his acts of violence, however, some locals wonder why Sogen did not hit the priest. The priest appeared in court as a witness but denied having sex with Sogen's partner. The court could punish Sogen with a maximum nine-months in prison but has yet to decide on the case.In both cases, ordained priests were involved. They were behind moves to report the respective violence to the police, a positive step towards strengthening the supremacy of law. Ideally, anyone who violates the law must account for their actions. The priests were accused of sexual misconduct involving women in both cases, which, even if consensual, can be construed as abusive or predatory due to the power imbalance between priest and parishioner. In the Timor case, Nesi was reported to the police for damage to property, and out of fear of further damage. He was arrested and detained but was released the next day after mediation. He could still face court for his "theatrical actions" of causing damage at the presbytery. However, there is no mention of a follow-up on the sexual misconduct allegations made against the priest.If no further actions are taken, Nesi could be charged with slander, accused of damaging the reputation of the priest and the institution of the Church. There are rumors about the alleged priest "misusing" a woman in his previous parish. That priest and his family resolved it by paying a big fine. Unfortunately for the priest's family, they were dragged in to share the burden of the consequence of his actions, financially and psychologically.Similarly, in the Lembata case, the local priest directed the female victim to report her male partner to the authorities. It is a positive sign to support a woman, particularly a victim of violence. Unfortunately, in the courtroom, Sogen bluntly accused the priest of sleeping with his partner and implied that the priest's support for the woman must be seen as an act to cover-up his crime. What a mess!Despite their similarity, each incident highlights different complexities. In the Timor case, if the sexual misconduct allegation by Nesi is true, then the Catholic hierarchy needs to act on it immediately. The Bishop of Atambua must stop merely moving priests suspected of sexual scandals from one parish to another. In the Timor case, the priest was moved from Tukuneno Parish to Bitauni in West Timor.For transparency and fairness, the parishioners must also be informed of the reason for removing the priests. It is essential that no innuendo or rumors that could damage the institutional reputation of the Church, are spread, while at the same time vulnerable communities should be protected from wrongdoers.Justin Wejak studied philosophy in Indonesia, theology and anthropology in Australia, and currently teaches at the University of Melbourne. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.