The first local prelate in Indonesia’s Papua, Rev. Father Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai You was appointed by Pope Francis as the new bishop of Jayapura Diocese on Oct. 29, 2022.

Catholics in the region have hailed the appointment of the first native bishop more than a century after Catholicism found its roots in the easternmost region.

Franciscan Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar, urged the local Catholics to pray for the first native Papuan bishop.

“The letter from the Vatican Ambassador told me that I should announce in the local Church in this diocese that the Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed a person to be the new bishop of Jayapura,” he said.

With the appointment, the Vatican has paid heed to the call from indigenous Papuan Catholics who made public demands to have a native as the bishop.

This comes as indigenous Papuan priests have repeatedly called on bishops since 2020 to be vocal about human rights violations in the region amid an escalation of conflict between Indonesian security forces and pro-independence rebels in recent years.

Soleman Itlay, told the media that many Papuans like him were emotionally moved when the appointment was made public.

“I am deeply moved. I also saw the mothers beside me crying after hearing the name of the bishop-elect being called. I asked them, what made them cry. They said it was because ‘we had been praying and waiting for the Vatican to elect an indigenous Papuan bishop,’” he said.

Frederika Korain also said, “I thank God that our struggle and prayers to have an indigenous Papuan bishop have finally been granted and today it has come true, I hope that the Church will step up with the poor, the suffering, the deprived of their rights. So, the Church must be close to the people in the most remote bases and formulate appropriate programs to serve them,” she said.

Rev. You was ordained a priest in 1991, he looked after various parishes before working in the education sector. In 2002, he became the parish priest of the Cathedral Church in Jayapura and served as the Vicar General of the diocese until 2007.

He has a master’s degree in psychology from the state-university Gadjah Mada Yogyakarta and a doctorate in anthropology from the Cenderawasih University Jayapura.

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