The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is asking the PNG government and the Australian government to give the asylum seekers a full and efficient refugee status determination process in the Manus Detention Centre: To provide safe and humane conditions for the asylum seekers Not to force the asylum seekers Read more
In recent years the number of Papua New Guinean Christians who have converted to Islam has been considerable. According to the recently released 2011 Census data, the Islamic population in rural areas of PNG has risen from about 300 in the year 2000 to 1352 in 2011. They are concentrated mainly in the Highlands, especially in Read more
Stepping over a pig about to be slaughtered while accompanying the relic of a potential saint may seem a somewhat unusual piece of Church business. But for Bishop of Papua New Guinea’s Kimbe province Capuchin Bill Fey such events are not especially unusual. “On that instance, I was part of a procession carrying a relic of Read more
Last month Wellington hosted the four-yearly plenary assembly of the bishops of the Federation of Catholic Bishops of Oceania (FCBCO). But it would be no surprise if anyone attending the opening Mass thought they had been carried off to the Pacific Islands, with the vibrant contribution of the Samoan and Tokelauan communities. It was one Read more
A priest and a catechist have been murdered in the Goilala Mountains in the Central province of Papua New Guinea. Fr Jerry Inao and the communion minister, Benedict, were shot dead at Kamulai on Sunday 4th May. Fr Jerry, a native of the area and a member of the Kunimeipa tribe, was in his early Read more
As soon as issues related to poverty, population growth and sexual behaviour arise, contraception is also called into question. At the moment this is also the case of Papua New Guinea. There is indeed a form of “voluntary” or natural contraception when people decide to avoid procreation by orienting their sexual behaviour; and a form Read more
The validity of United nations report on Gender Violence has been called into question by the President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, John Momis. He says that since the Report has not yet been formally presented to the Government, he is not “prepared to go into a point by point rebuttal of the findings”. Read more
The PNG Government has agreed to donate $1.6 million toward a new medical ship which Townsville arm of Youth With A Mission is planning to buy The new ship will be much larger and more modern than the current 37m vessel, Pacific Link and YWAM plans to dramatically expand its operations once it gets the Read more
New Friends and Old Sometime in August our staff Josephine and I attended a Boroko Rotary Club dinner and made a presentation on the work of WeCARe! It went over very well and the club is very interested in helping us. They have already given us a handsome donation which is very welcome, and told Read more
On Friday 28th June 2013 the Catholic Theological Institute (CTI) in Bomana, Port Moresby celebrated its Golden Jubilee. CTI has been the academic wing of Holy Spirit Seminary since 1999 when the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea set up a distinct institute for the academic formation of seminarians and laity. Thus Read more