Interfaith people and Religious Studies students celebrate Council Day

In commemoration of the church reformation and 60 years of the Second Vatican Council, YIPC YYK (Young Interfaith Peacemaker Community Yogyakarta) held an interfaith discussion with the theme "The Future of Interfaith Dialogue and the Role of Young People" which was held on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at Kolsani - St. Ignatius College (Kota Baru). Several students of Religious Studies of UIN Sunan Kalijaga attended the event organized by YIPC YYK. The forum discussed the history and impact of the church reformation in the present. The YIPC forum has always been characterized by the harmonious rhetoric of different religious communities.

This dialog was opened by Albert P. Sihotang as a lighter discussing early European church reformation history. The church reformation occurred around the 14th to 16th centuries, the initial movement occurred when Luther criticized the Catholic church in a public debate in Leipzig with his words "Laymen armed with scripture are superior to the Pope and his council of cardinals". In response to this criticism, Luther received several threats from church members and was excommunicated.

Furthermore, Luther founded the Protestant church and made a translation of the Bible from Latin into German to make it easier and more widely understood and studied. After this incident, many impacts were felt by the community, both in social and divine aspects.

Fr Yulius Suroso, SJ said that humans have direct access to God. With reference to the history of the five faith residences (Grace, Faith, Christ, Bible, and Glory) following the church reformation, it strengthens the statement that humans have a channel to God. Seminary is one of the concrete manifestations in realizing access to God, because in the formation of church leaders who are knowledgeable and have high faith, the congregation in it gets to know Christ.

"We can learn together and share different traditions in this forum, which is interesting to me, because we can feel harmony without any sentiment." Faiz (New student of Religious Studies). The role of young people in church reform has a lot of better potential to dialogue and want to move more than usual. The opening of minds to examine differences and no longer compare can advance standards in religion, especially in the church as a form of real reformation.