Hieronymus Herculanus Bumbun, 1937 – 2024

I make it a rule not to write about athletes, religious figures, or politicians. But rules are made to be broken, and I am doing so for Indonesian Archbishop Hieronymus Herculanus Bumbun, who died on Sept. 30, age 87, because that is the most wonderful name I’ve heard in ages (it sounds like a W.C. Fields character). In 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of Pontianak; he resigned in 2024, and retreated to a Capuchin monastery. I could not find any quotes from him, or what he actually did or believed in, though I did learn that Catholicism is one of only six approved religions in Indonesia (the others being Islam, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—I am guessing it is not easy to find a good kosher deli in Indonesia). But whether or not he was a nice fellow, I will always remember him fondly for being named “Hieronymus Herculanus Bumbun.”