O'Neill said the elevation of Ribat to Cardinal on November 19 will be a time of national pride.

"We congratulate Sir John and again thank him for the work he has undertaken that led him to such a high position in the Catholic Church.

"Cardinal Ribat will continue to provide spiritual guidance and direction, as he has done through his life, but now to a much larger flock.

"His new role is an enormous undertaking and will change the lives of so many around the world."

O'Neill said he anticipates the nation will unite in prayer when the ceremony takes place to elevate Sir John to his new position, and he looks forward to the new Cardinal being welcomed home.

"November 19 will be a proud day when the Sir John is elevated to his new position in the Church," the prime minister said.

"We look forward to the next opportunity when Cardinal Ribat is able to celebrate Mass in Papua New Guinea.

"I hope we can have a series of large outdoor services that will bring our people together in prayer."

"Our new Cardinal is an example of what can be achieved through commitment and dedication."

"I congratulate Sir John Ribat, our first Cardinal, for the his good work and for the confidence that his Holiness the Pope, has shown in his character and devotion."

Speaking about his appointment Ribat says Pope Francis is trying to get Christians to see the church in a new way.

"The church is for the poor, that's how he sees it and that's I think what's in his mind and how he wants to show it, not only to the traditional places but even to reach out to the small, small places."

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• pm.gov.pg
• Image: portmoresby.anglican.org

In less than a year, Pope Francis has transformed the dominant discourse around Catholicism from scandal and despair to joy and the evangelical demands in light of poverty and economic exclusion.

"Each individual Christian and every community," he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium last week, "is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society."

This is a powerful and radical understanding of where the church is called to be in light of the Gospel of Christ and the joy of the Holy Spirit.

As if this was not enough of a contrast to the rampant consumerism of the pre-Christmas shopping season, we hear rumours this week that the pope may be going out to Rome at night to do acts of charity—unbelievable.

This week, as the Council of Cardinals begins its second meeting in Rome they will begin to examine each Vatican office—hopefully with an eye to how to make them more "mission-oriented."

In lead up to this meeting, I had the chance to work with an international group of Catholic intellectuals and social activists to formulate concrete proposals for curial reform. The full proposal, which was shared with several "super cardinals" as a White Paper of ICMICA-Pax Romana and an opinion article in the Catholic Information Service for Africa focuses on three areas. Continue reading.

Kevin Glauber Ahern, PhD is an assistant professor of religious studies at Manhattan College. He served as the President of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana) and is Vice-President of the ICMICA-Pax Romana.

The White Paper's Executive Summary can be found here.

Source: DailyTheology

Image: Franco Origlia/Getty Images