General Assembly of Catholic church

 

Archbishop Steve Reichert

General Assembly of the Catholic Church opens in Madang

By Patrick Matbob

 The Catholic faithful in PNG have been reminded that many people in the world today want to hear and see the good news of Jesus.

Archbishop of Madang Steve Reichert made the call when welcoming more than 150 delegates from Solomon Islands and PNG to the General Assembly of the Catholic Church at Divine Word University on Tuesday (November 5).

Archbishop Reichert told the delegates that many people have not heard the good news of Jesus; others have left the Church, some scandalized by the sins of its members.

“The social services of our Church, health and education, while very good in some areas, are deteriorating in others”.

He reminded the members that there was much violence and abuse in the world.

“Who will protect the children?” he asked.

The delegates come from 22 dioceses in PNG and Solomon Islands and will meet for a week discussing major issues facing the church in the region.

The General Assembly will address issues such as violence in society especially against women and children, corruption and unequal distribution of wealth, crime and drug abuse, sorcery and preservation of the environment.

A major challenge to the church especially in the highlands of PNG will be the increase in killings and torture associated with sorcery. The church along with civil authorities, have struggled in recent years to control the increasing violence related to sorcery, witchcraft and cult practices. This has been a major challenge to the Christian faith, resulting in the breakdown of law and order and respect for authority in communities in the region. The PNG government has responded to serious crimes by introducing capital punishment and abolishing the Sorcery Act. The Catholic Church has consistently opposed capital punishment as a solution to serious crimes and has voiced its opposition again recently.

The work of the Catholic Church in PNG and Solomon Islands will also come under scrutiny as church leaders seek to encourage more lay people to be involved in the work of the church. The Catholic Church has been in the region for more than 100 years and has been led largely by the clergy and religious members.

The conference will deliberately for a week, and participants are expected to suggest concrete solutions that can be applied immediately in communities, parishes and dioceses throughout the region.

The conference will end with a mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral on Sunday.