Father Victor Roche made this call, after reports from many parts of the country of torture and killings that have resulted from sorcery or sanguma.

"Churches have failed in their part to stop this, even though 96 percent of the people of Papua New Guinea are Christians," he said.

"Why we are not able to translate the Bible into our lives - and this is not a Christian value, so this has to stop.

Jesus did remove evil spirits from these people and we have the power to do that so pastors, layman, priests and others should preach more against sangomas and sorcery-related killings," he said.

Roche said the Government is not capable of effectively addressing the issue.

"Though it is funding and hosting a lot of seminars, conferences, workshops and others, these things are still happening.

"So, now it is the Churches' responsibility and I call upon the Church Partnership Programme that in the next forum, this should be the main topic," he said.

When asked if Catholic Church had programmes in place to address this issue, Roche said the Catholic Church has preached against sorcery in some parts of the country including Kundiawa, Mendi and Mount Hagen.

"There is also a centre in Mt Hagen where women who have been tortured and accused are rescued and are safely kept there and later returned to their communities and families.

"Catholic Church is taking efforts to prevent things happening at the same time, there are centres run by Catholic Sisters where women can seek refuge," he said.

Source

• Post Courier
• Image: Stop Sorcery Violence
  

Roche gave the following reasons for the condemnation:

• Elected leaders are for the people. They have been mandated to represent the people. Hence, they are obliged to be their voice.
• As mandated by the people, they are entrusted to deal with public issues and act in the best interest of the people and not abuse their powers for their own benefits.
• People suffer at the hands of those who misuse power for their selfish needs. This affects all levels of the society and generates instability at all levels of the government.

In the last few days, there has been an inquiry into allegations of two ministers who during their time in office breached and acted contrary to their duties and responsibilities as leaders.

On Tuesday Radio Australia International reported that an anonymous text message line has uncovered 250 cases of potential corruption in the Papua New Guinea's Department of Finance.

Source

• The Catholic Reporter
• Radio Australia
• Image: Pacific Scoop

Most are from troubled Middle East and Asian countries.

The highest number is from Iran (533), followed by Afghanistan (134), Pakistan (104), Iraq (94).

There are also 90 Sudanese, 47 Somalis and a handful of North-Africans. There are 74 Bangladeshi, 69 people coming from Myanmar, 37 Lebanese, 27 from Sri Lanka, 5 from Syria.

Almost 40 people are stateless.

The General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Fr Victor Roche recently visited the Manus detention centre as an observer for the Catholic Church to find out if there was any violation of human rights in the refugee camp.

Eleven detainees were brought into the court room over a couple of days. They testified that they were forcefully taken to Manus from the remote Australian Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and were told that they would never be allowed to settle in Australia.

The detainees complained about the harsh conditions in the camp: one mentioned bread with worms; others cramped rooms, lack of privacy, deprivation of liberty and uncertainty about the future. They said that they left Iraq, Somalia or Afghanistan, because of threats to their life.

They would like to be resettled in Australia or in a country that can guaranty their safety.

From the camp they can communicate by phone or via internet with their families; but some are frightened by security personnel at the camp.

Source

• Catholic Reporter PNG
• Image: The Guardian

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.

He noted that discussion in the media, the social media, and in other open forums was informative, addressing the main issues that have been covered in other nations.

Young said, "There have also been unsavoury aspects to this debate, such as the speculation on the best way to kill someone.

"The one thing missing from the debate was any evidence whatsoever that the death penalty will deter violent crime," he said.

Fr.Victor Roche, the general secretary of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, said, "It is indeed a sad day for the country when the Parliamentarians decided to give the death penalty for its own citizens. We do agree that the leaders want to put a stop to merciless killing of innocent people especially of rape, sorcery and murder. It is true that the people of this country also want the law and order situation to be brought under control. But Death Penalty is not the solution."

Roche gave three reasons why the Catholic Church does not support the death penalty:

1. It is against the Bible and Christian principles

2. The death penalty has not decreased the crime rate in those countries where it is carried out.

3. Who is going to execute the convicted criminals in PNG?

"We welcome the idea of higher penalties for abduction, murder, misuse of funds over K5 million etc. The Parliamentarians are giving the signal to the offenders that the governement is serious about bringing down crime and corruption in the country," said Roche.

• Read the full text of the statements on The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea website
• Image: EliteDaily.com

Catholic Archbishop of Port Moresby, John Ribat, flanked by the General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference in PNG and Solomon Islands Fr Victor Roche, announced the church's position at a press conference in Port Moresby on Wednesday 1 May.

Archbishop Ribat said he acknowledged the immense pressure on the Government to curb law and order problems and its moves to introduce maximum penalties to crack down on the country's serious law and order problems.

Speaking on behalf of the other churches, he said the church would live by its principles.

"No life will be taken. We do not have the right to do that but we do have the right to better a person's life," the Archbishop said.

Papua New Guinea's government is considering backing the death penalty in a bid to deter crimes against women and "sorcery"-related killings.

On the same day Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said that legislation will be introduced when Parliament resumes in two weeks that would allow the country to implement the death penalty.

"Among the methods discussed include death by firing squad, which was considered more humane and inexpensive than other methods," O'Neill said in a statement following a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. He said an "execution center" would be attached to a new prison to be built in a remote location.

Source

• Island Business
• Stuff.co.nz
• Washington Post
• Image: ResourcesMMC.com

Archbishop John Ribat says Attorney-General Kerenga Kua's plan to activate the never-before-used law is the wrong way to deter crime and may encourage payback as families seek revenge for an execution.

"The payback system can escalate. Killing will give rise to more killing," he said.

The General secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Fr Victor Roche, has also expressed concern at the suggestion made by the Attorney-General

Roche said the church supported the dignity of a human person and a death penalty would deny that if implemented.
"The death penalty is not the answer to the law and order problems in our country," he said.

The view against death penalty is also shared by National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop.
The human rights lawyer argued that there was no proof that capital punishment was the model to monitor successfully law and order problems in a society.

Source

• Social Concerns -A Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference PNG/SI
• News.com.au
• Image: Resources MMC.org
  

Cette prise de position, de la part de la conférence des évêques catholiques de Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée et des îles Salomon, intervient en soutient à des appels similaires émanant du Gouverneur de la capitale, Powes Parkop, qui a demandé ces dernières semaines à ce que l'armée soit mobilisée pendant au moins une année, pour rétablir l'ordre dans cette métropole. La conférence des évêques, dans un communiqué final, en fin de semaine dernière, a basé sa décision sur le fait qu'elle estime que la police n'est plus en mesure d'assurer seule le maintien de l'ordre public. Le père Victor Roache, secrétaire général de la conférence, a précisé que ces dernières semaines, Port-Moresby avait été le théâtre d'une vague sans précédent de criminalité, dont des meurtres particulièrement violents, dans un climat d'impunité. La police, de son côté, a de fait dressé un constat d'échec face à cette situation, en recommandant, faute de mieux, aux personnes, mais aussi automobilistes, de ne pas sortir après la tombée de la nuit.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands has supported the views of National Capital District Governor Governor Powes Parkop that the PNG Defence Force be called in to patrol Port Moresby for at least one year.

They made this call amid reports of worsening law and order situation in Port Moresby.

"Pick-pocketing, rape and killing have become part of the normal life in the city. Two weeks ago, we read in the newspaper of the cruel rape of a mother in broad daylight in Gordon's market. The culprits go scot-free and the victim is afraid of lodging a case with the police.

"The mindset of the criminals should be weeded out. They commit the crimes and they know that neither the police nor the public will do anything to deter them. The public is also of the same attitude. It takes a few months or perhaps a few years to take away that mind-set. It is good to start now."

General Secretary of the Bishops' Conference Fr Victor Roche, in a statement said: "The police are unable to curb the rising crime in the city. The public have become silent and passive observers of these crimes and the church supports the view of NCD Governor Powes Parkop that the army is called in to patrol the city for at least one year."

Source

• NewPad
• Post Courier
• Image: The Australian

The law, introduced on Tuesday and passed three times by a vote of 63-7 on Wednesday, gave parliament the power to refer a judge to the governor-general who, in turn, must appoint a tribunal to investigate the judge who would be suspended from duty.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands general-secretary Fr Victor Roche said churches "opposed the bill in the strongest possible terms".

He said the government had not taken the right direction in its decision to pass the Judicial Conduct Bill. Roche said despite the government having the majority to rule, "the decision further fails to serve the interest of every Papua New Guinean".

He said the National and Supreme Courts were the highest lawmaking body and it was not good to suppress them. Any country that "suppresses the conduct of judges of the National and Supreme Courts is in big trouble".

Roche said there was not enough time for non-governmental organisations, churches and public to gauge their views through a public debate on the law before it was passed.

He said they were pleased with opposition leader Dame Carol Kidu for opposing the Judicial Conduct Bill.

Transparency International (PNG) has also condemned the parliamentarians who voted for the Judicial Conduct Bill.

Chairman Lawrence Stephens said the good governance watchdog was horrified at the manner in which the legislation was rushed through parliament.

"This act by the members of the parliament is an attack to the rights of Papua New Guineans," he said. "The bill now passed by the national parliament will control and suppress the conduct of judges of the National and Supreme Courts."

Source

• The National
• The National
• Pacnews
• Image: AdelaideNow