- Name: Mgr. Paulus Budi Kleden SVD, the Archbishop of Ende
- Archive Type: News
- Occasion: January 6, 2025
- Place: Ende, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
- Available File(s): Photos
- Keywords: Catholic church, the archbishop of Ende, Paulus Budi Kleden, extractivism, geothermal energy, environmentalism.
- Link: https://penatimor.com/2025/01/tegas-uskup-agung-ende-tolak-eksplorasi-geotermal-di-pulau-flores/
Recently (1/6/25), the Archbishop of Ende, Paulus Budi Kleden SVD, declared a firm stance against geothermal exploration in the territory of Archdiocese of Ende. According to Pena Timor, this is not his own personal opinion, but rather official stance of the Catholic Church in KAE after hearing testimonies from communities in geothermal exploration sites, such as Sokoria in Ende Regency and Mataloko in Ngada Regency. This exploration is considered to be more disastrous than beneficial to local residents.
“We have heard testimonies from residents of Sokoria and Mataloko, as well as talked to priests. Based on the available facts, I declare my stance against geothermal exploration at a number of points that have been identified in three Kevikepan in the territory of the Archdiocese of Ende,” says the Archbishop.
Separately, the Nusantara Alliance of Indigenous Peoples (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara; AMAN) appreciated what the church had declared. They regarded it as a bold step to save the environment and indigenous peoples’ rights. As reported by Indonesian Republic Radio, AMAN’s secretary Maximilianus hoped that this stance would “motivate other dioceses in Flores to speak up” and there would be other efforts to protect ecology and indigenous rights against the “extractive development.”
Geothermal exploration in Flores-Lembata has been the main concern of the East Indonesian people, although they rarely gain attention from global news. On the contrary, western medias, such as ThinkGeoEnergy, only highlights how this development will create “sustainable tourism” and will “improve” the lives of people on the island.
Photo(s)
Source(s)
- Redaction, “Tegas! Uskup Agung Ende Tolak Eksplorasi Geotermal di Pulau Flores,” Penatimor.com, January 10, 2025. https://penatimor.com/2025/01/tegas-uskup-agung-ende-tolak-eksplorasi-geotermal-di-pulau-flores/.
- Arnoldus Dhae, “Uskup Agung Ende Tegas Tolak Eksplorasi Geotermal di Pulau Flores,” Media Indonesia, January 10, 2025, https://mediaindonesia.com/nusantara/733298/uskup-agung-ende-tegas-tolak-eksplorasi-geotermal-di-pulau-flores#google_vignette.
- Oris Goti, “AMAN Apresiasi Sikap Uskup Ende Tolak Proyek Geotermal,” Radio Republik Indonesia, January 10, 2025, https://www.rri.co.id/ende/daerah/1247765/aman-apresiasi-sikap-uskup-ende-tolak-proyek-geotermal.
- Alexander Richter, “Geothermal is an Elementary Part of Sustainable Tourism on Flores Island, Indonesia and Development Aimed at Improving Lives of People on the Island,” Think Geoenergy, March 8, 2022, https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/sustainable-tourism-on-flores-geothermal-island-indonesia/
Written by Abel K. Aruan (November 14, 2024); Edited by Abel K. Aruan (January 9, 2025).