KEITH JACKSON
A new Pastoral Plan for the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands places great emphasis on the family, the poor, youth, street kids and a wide range of social concerns.
The document was officially launched in Goroka on Sunday and is the culmination of two years of work within the church. It is the first time that Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have developed a common Pastoral Plan.
A new evangelization is at the core of the pastoral plan along with its social concerns and a new focus on the media.
“The world and the church are in the midst of a deep and ongoing crisis such as we have never experienced before”, the President of the Bishops’ Conference, Arnold Orowae of Wabag, said in his presentation of the plan.
He said that young people especially live in uncertainty and fear of the future, adding that family breakdown, violence and corruption are on the rise.
Bishop Arnold also noted “an identity crisis in the priesthood and religious life”.
He said the purpose evangelisation is not “simply getting people to become Christians or Catholics, or even necessarily getting people to come to church.
“It is the whole process of announcing the living Christ. It is about living the consequences of our faith in Jesus Christ by bringing the gospel values of mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation into our lives, our workplace, and all our social, economic, and political responsibilities.”