When the first missionaries came to the area in the mid-1950s there were no Catholics. The diocese now has 80,000 - around 10 percent of the population.

Bishop Donald Lippert says the diocese has a vibrant and growing faith, one which the people have embraced as their own, showing the universality of the Catholic Church.

Lippert, an American Capuchin, has been working in Papua New Guinea for more than 10 years and has been bishop of the Diocese of Mendi since 2012.

The dictionary definition of "catholic" is: including a wide variety of things; all-embracing. Lippert says the diocese really exemplifies what catholic means.

"To me, it is really beautiful and it really expresses the catholicity of the Church, that the people have embraced the faith as something that is truly theirs, something that is truly meaningful to them," Lippert recently told CNA.

"They don't look upon it as something foreign, as something coming from the outside. It is something that is very important to them and truly theirs."

Lippert said that one of the greatest fruits of the Catholic faith he has witnessed in Papua New Guinea is freedom from fear. In the past many people "were afraid of evil spirits, they were afraid of tribal fighting," he said. "Fear was a great motivator and very characteristic of their lives."

"But with the embracing of the Catholic faith, that fear is dissipating. Because they know the power of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit can cast out any kind of evil, any kind of fear that they might have."

Even the bishop's pectoral ‘Tau' cross is a sign of the faith of the people of Papua New Guinea. "It was made by one of the local people for me out of a shell, a shell that used to be their money, the kina shell," he said.

"In fact, the money today is still called a 'kina' so it was something very valuable for them."

"He took one of these shells and was able to make this pectoral cross for me. He gave it to me when I became a bishop; it's very unique and very beautiful I think."

Source

• CNA
• Image: Twitter

He has described the nuns who venture into the worst areas of the country as incredibly and inspiringly courageous.

Lippert says they are putting their lives at risk in a desperate bid to reach those in need of help.

"They go right to the midst of where it is happening."

"They have been threatened, pushed, stoned and in one case burned."

"They have been accused of being witches."

"They are not always successful the first time, but they do not give up until they take the victim into their care."

According to Lippert "most, but not all, victims are women with no one to stand up for them."

"Women here (in the Highlands) are still in many ways, second class citizens," he said. "They make easy targets."

Luckily, so far the nuns have survived the attacks, and the bishop adds they and local helpers are not deterred from returning to help.

One problem, according to Lippert and many activists, is that the law is not enforced and the government does not push the police to act.

"Changing beliefs can take a long time. However, society has the duty of protecting the vulnerable and must hold accountable those who perpetrate violence against them. Right now people do these things with impunity," he said.

"It is a very complex issue involving all of the following - in varying degrees - fear, resentment, jealousy, marijuana, greed, culture, clash of cultures, diabolical evil, and more."

He added the complexity made it difficult, but not impossible to combat.

Source

• asopa.typepad.com
• Image: asopa.typepad.com