Archbishop of Klede warns: water and environmental crisis on Flores!

Archbishop of Klede warns: water and environmental crisis on Flores!

in Vienna, the Steyler missionaries impressively show solidarity with Archbishop Paulus Budi Kleden, who fights Flores on the Indonesian island of Flores against controversial geothermal projects. Archbishop of Kleden, who was General superior of Steyler missionaries between 2018 and 2024, has now focused on the rights of the local population. According to a report by kathpress.at, Kleden fights against projects that not only endanger the livelihood of people, but have already led to ecological disasters. It indicates the exploitation of water resources and alarmed about the negative consequences that such projects can have for the region's agriculture.

The resistance to these geothermal projects is not new. Protest in Westflores has been stirring since 2023, where indigenous groups and Catholic students actively fight against the threats of their traditional land rights. Archbishop of Klede called on the population to defend themselves against the threats through attacking energy investments, as Kathpress.at reports. A particularly drastic development was the withdrawal of financial support from the World Bank in October 2023, which was celebrated as a success for environmentalists and indigenous activists who had campaigned for a more thorough examination of such projects.

yesterday, today and tomorrow

The history of the Steyler missionaries on Flores is closely linked to the development of the Catholic faith in the region. From the arrival of the first Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century to the establishment of schools and boarding schools by the Steyler missionaries in the early 20th century, they laid a solid basis for the Catholic community. Their work was not only limited to religious issues: they also improved education systems and promoted agricultural projects, which increased the quality of life of the locals. These sustainable foundations make it possible for the Church on Flores, even in times of crisis, such as during the Japanese occupation, the result of an in -depth analysis of the mission activity, which was published on Utheses.univie.ac.at.