The Pacific Council of Churches has responded with caution to the news that Papua New Guinea politicians have endorsed the idea of the country being officially a Christian State. Hela Province governor Anderson Agriru recently introduced a motion in Parliament to carry out a nationwide consultation on PNG’s religious status, which was passed unanimously. There Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Papua New Guinea’
Addressing sexual violence in Papua New Guinea
Friday, July 12th, 2013
The medical aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says it’s dealt with more than 13 thousand cases of family and sexual violence since arriving in Papua New Guinea in 2007. But it says the issue isn’t just a social problem. For many victims, it’s a medical emergency. In the last month alone, the group has treated Read more
K120m for Church State partnership programmes wasted
Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013In Papua New Guinea a government supplied fund of K120 million for church state partnership programmes has been wasted through misapplication and abuse. National Planning Minister Charles Abel will table a report on the Social Development Plan or Church State Partnership Program where K120 million has been spent with nothing to show on the ground. Read more
PNG’s Muslim population grows 500 percent in ten years
Friday, June 7th, 2013Papua New Guinea’s Muslim population has grown by some 500 per cent since the September 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, according to research by an Australian academic and expert on Islamic studies. Listen
PNG Bishops say Government ignored public debate on death penalty
Friday, May 31st, 2013
Catholic Bishops have accused the PNG Government of ignoring the public debate on the death penalty and fast tracking their own agenda. Archbishop Douglas Young of Mt. Hagen said that while the Attorney General had noted that there had been widespread debate in the public forum he did not say who had won the debate. Read more
Nuncio named for Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands
Tuesday, May 28th, 2013
Pope Francis has named Archbishop Michael W. Banach the apostolic nuncio for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Pope Benedict XVI had named Banach, a Vatican diplomat, to be an apostolic nuncio, which carries with it the title of archbishop, in February. He was born the son of Wallace and Jane Banach. He grew up Read more
Story of grace and forgiveness
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
When Grace L. Fabian forgave the man who murdered her husband, she was simply following her faith. She and her husband arrived in Papua New Guinea on the Fourth of July 1969 to work with Wycliff Bible Translators, producing literacy materials and translating the New Testament. They had four children, all born in Papua New Read more
NZ priest trying to halt sorcery deaths in PNG
Friday, April 12th, 2013
A New Zealand born Catholic priest, Philip Gibbs, has been actively involved in trying to halt sorcery deaths in Papua New Guinea. Based in Mt Hagen, Gibbs, 65, said it was hard to work out what to say to congregations which included people who would have taken part in burning alleged witches. “If as an Read more
The driving forces behind alcohol and drug abuse
Friday, April 5th, 2013
A study conducted by Sr. Gabriella Burgos from the National Family Life Apostolate and Br. Martin Tnines from the Melanesian Institute has identified unemployment, feelings of exclusion and a decline in parental influence as the driving forces behind alcohol and drug abuse. The research was conducted in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. Catholic HIV and AIDS Services Incorporated (CHASI), Read more
New Catholic Education Secretary appointed in PNG
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013
The newly appointed National Catholic Education Secretary for Papua New Guinea has taken up his position and began by attending the First National Education Board meeting for 2013 as an observer. He replaces Mr. Sylvester Ganisi, from the diocese of Alotau, who for the past seven years has been National Catholic Education Secretary. In the Read more