The new building has two blocks.

ToRot Block (Building A) has a conference room with a capacity of 100 people, 25 workstations and 11 living rooms.

Mazzuconi Block (Building B) has a fireproof archive room, office space for 15 workstations, parking space and two residential flats.

According to CBC General Secretary Father Victor Roche, there is also a recording studio space for the commission of communication with the possibility of a future radio or television station.

The money for the construction came from:

• Fundraising
• The prime minister's office - 3 million
• MISSIO Aachen - 1.08 million.
• Other leaders and generous donors - 1.22 million

Those attending the ceremony included Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, Papua New Guinea's first prime minister, and the current prime minister, Peter O'Neil.

In his speech, Somare acknowledged the role of the Catholic Church in the development of the country.

'The Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have, through their efforts, made a contribution to keep alive the teaching of Christ in the country," the Grand Chief said.

O'Neill congratulated the architect and the builders who had constructed a wonderful building.

"It will not only serve the Church but also serve our people in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands. It is important that the government continues to support the work of the Church.

"The government and the church must work hand in hand in partnership to not only develop our country but to also provide spiritual guidance for our people and make sure that they have the services they deserve in education and health," said the prime minister.

TSource

• onepng.com
• looppng.com
• Image: looppng.com

O'Neill made the invitation during a meeting today with Sir John Ribat, the Archbishop of Port Moresby who is soon to become Papua New Guinea's first Cardinal, and Archbishop Kurian Mathew Vayalunkal, the new Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

"This is an honor for our people and we are proud of our first Cardinal," said O'Neill.

"Following Cardinal Ribat's elevation I hope now that we will be able to receive Pope Francis in Papua New Guinea."

"Pope John Paul II visited Papua New Guinea on two occasions and people of all Christian denominations in our country would like to welcome His Holiness, Pope Francis."

"A Papal visit brings people together, and unites them through commitment to God and Church, regardless of which denomination the are from."

"We will continue a dialogue with representatives of the Vatican to formalise this offer for the Pope to visit."

O'Neill also spoke highly of the role that the Church has played in PNG's history.

"For many decades the Government did not do much in rural and remote areas, and it was the church that stepped in to help our people."

"I know this was the case in my own district in Pangia when I was growing up, there was no Government support and this continued many years after Independence."

Archbishop Vayalumkal recently arrived in Papua New Guinea to begin his appointment.

He has been with the Diplomatic Corps of Vatican since 1998 and worked in Hungary, Korea, Dominican Republic, Egypt and Bangladesh.

He also served in Haiti after a large earthquake in 2010 to oversee the humanitarian work taken up by the Vatican.

Source

• news.pngfacts.com
• facebook.com
• Image: facebook

On July 5 the University of Papua New Guinea Council (UPNG) made a decision to terminate the 2016 academic year.

The decision comes after more than six weeks of protest and boycotts over the prime ministership of Peter O'Neill.

The Bishops' Conference recognises the difficulty of the situation.

However it thinks the UPNG has not looked into all possibilities in addressing the situation.

General Secretary of the conference Fr. Victor Roche said the closing the academic year and sending the students back home is a big financial loss to the students and the government.

Roche said if 5000 students go back to their villages and towns to do nothing for the rest of the year, there would be more likely social issues brewing over the recent issues and can go out of control.

The Bishops' Conference is appealing to the University Councils and administration to seek the help of the Chaplaincies or the Conference itself to assist with a process of reconciliation.

It has also called for a proper inquiry into the whole situation by a neutral party for a peaceful solution and a way forward.

The UPNG Council also suspended of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and for ordered students to leave the campus by Saturday.

Source

• news.pngfacts.com
• asiapacificreport.nz
• Image: asiapacificreport.nz

In a new Pastoral Letter on the issue of the death penalty the bishops say capital punishment has "no place in a Christian country, where true justice and mercy should prevail."

The bishops say where executions are performed by the State, people develop the attitude that it is acceptable to respond to violence with violence.

"We pray that the rejection of this form of public violence will set an example and lead to a rejection of domestic violence and all other forms of violence in our society and open the way to a lasting peace."

In 1991 the Papua New Guinea Parliament reintroduced the death penalty.

In 2013 the Criminal Code was changed to set out the acceptable ways to do it: to hang, suffocate, electrocute, shoot or poison someone with a deadly injection.

The government argued that "this is the best way to protect society from the repetition of terrible crimes."

"It is in response to this political legislation and this popular reaction that we, the bishops of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, are addressing this letter in defence of life, highlighting several main reasons to say "no" to the death penalty," the bishops say.

The prime minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill, said the death penalty is "under review" in Papua New Guinea after recent global outcry over the execution of foreign drug convicts in neighbouring Indonesia.

O'Neill's comments came on the eve of a two-day visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, under whose brief leadership 14 drug convicts have been executed, 12 of them foreigners.

Jakarta put to death two Australians, a Brazilian, and four Nigerians on a prison island, along with one Indonesian last month despite worldwide calls for them to be spared and heartrending pleas from their families.

Widodo was unmoved, arguing that Indonesia is facing an emergency due to rising narcotics use.

In response, Australia, a close friend of Papua New Guinea, recalled its ambassador from Indonesia for what it called the "cruel and unnecessary" executions while the United Nations expressed deep regret.

PNG has also faced national and international opposition to the reintroduction of the death penalty in a country where an execution has not been carried out since 1954.

Source

• Fides
• The Peninsula
• Image: asiapacific.anu.edu.au

"This fundraising was coordinated across West Papua by church groups in West Papua and the umbrella organisation, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua."

"The entire gathering was forcibly dispersed by armed Indonesian police who can be seen on a photo from the day, opening fire upon my people."

Wenda's press release was posted on the Free West Papua website on 21 March.

On 24 March, Wenda was detained by immigration officials when he arrived in Port Moresby.

He had flown from the United Kingdom and had planned to visit PNG before heading to Vanuatu for a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The office of Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill said Mr Wenda had arrived in the country without a visa.

A spokesman for Mr O'Neill said the West Papuan independence leader was not being deported, but he was "not permitted to enter the country".

"It's not a political issue, it's a visa issue," he said.

Source

• freewestpapua.org
• Radio Australia
• Image: freewestpapua

The Catholic Bishops of Papua New Guinea have expressed disappointment with what the Government has done because it could result in the cancellation of PNG Sustainable Development Program.

In their statement the Bishops say the PNG Sustainable Development Program which has supported hundreds of projects nationwide, partnering with organisations and communities to bring assistance where it is most needed, could now come to an end.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has sacked Sir Mekere Morauta as chairman of Ok Tedi Mining Limited and installed four new directors on the board, after passing legislation transferring all the shares in the Ok Tedi mine to the state.

Parliament also passed legislation making the former owner, BHP Billiton, liable for environmental damage caused by the Ok Tedi mine. O'Neill has also instigated an inquiry into the way in which the SDP was established.

Source

• Voice of ToRot
• Business Advantage PNG
• Image: OTML

Licini was responding to a a speech made at National Covenant Day celebration in Goroka on Monday by the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, in which he once again praised the role played by the churches in Papua New Guinea.

O"Neill said Churches are reliable partners of the Government which help provide spiritual guidance.

He said "The churches and the government need to work together in spiritual unity to deliver services and guide the country towards God, we need good spiritual guidance,"

At the same time, Governor Julie Soso, reiterated the call "for a religion policy to be implemented for all Christian churches to remain in PNG while outlawing other religions" which, says Licini is " something about which for a start the Churches do not agree with at all!"

"The Churches also do not agree about the death penalty. They do not agree on the treatment reserved to the asylum seekers. They do not agree with many policies in the field of education. Neither they are happy with the way public funds are used and misused," says Licini

Source

• The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea
• The National
• Image: pngblogs

While they are finding it difficult to comment on all the social and moral implications until more facts become available they say, "we can certainly say this, that while Papua New Guineans are not lacking in compassion for those in need, this country (unlike Australia which is a stable and thriving nation of immigrants) does not have the capacity at this time in its history to welcome a sizeable influx of refugees and provide for their immediate needs and a reasonable hope for a new and prosperous beginning. The leaders of Papua New Guinea and Australia surely know this and therefore appear to be making a very unwise decision."

"Papua New Guinea is rightly proud of the protection guaranteed by its Constitution to all people, citizen and non-citizen alike. We refer particularly to the section on freedom and liberty of the person (section 42) in the PNG Constitution. So is it right to bring people across our borders against their wishes? Is it right to imprison people who have not broken our laws? The implication that resettlement in PNG would be a deterrent is offensive to Papua New Guinea."

Source

• The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea
• Image: ResourcesO.new.com.au

He said common concerns between government and Churches include education, health, public security, fight against corruption, infrastructures, and economic development for local communities.

O'Neill said that all children will have to be in school by 2014. The government will pay their school fees and the families will have to comply or be dealt with by the law. "We believe all children have a right to education"

Archbishop John Ribat MSC of Port Moresby, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference, in his address to Prime Minister O'Neill called for formal abolition of the death penalty in PNG, a better consultation and respect of Church stand in education and family values, checks and balances in logging and mining practices and special economic zones.

Source

• Bishop's Conference of PNG and the SI
• Mission frontier.org

"I see the new Pope as somebody who could lead while the church is in turmoil, therefore, I ask people to pray for him. We are journeying together and sharing the same faith, and I think he believes in the spirit of unity," Ribat said.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill extended the nation's warmest congratulations and best wishes and said: "His election as Pope is a momentous occasion for the Catholic church in his home country, Argentina, and for the church throughout the developing world.

"Just as the Catholic church is the largest church in Argentina, it is the largest church in Papua New Guinea".

Source

• The National
• Mirror News

The decision was a majority with two of the five judges dissenting. On May 21st, the chief justice, Sir Salamo Injia, joined two other judges in upholding the Supreme Court's December verdict, which ordered the restoration of Mr O'Neill's predecessor as prime minister, Sir Michael Somare.

One of the dissenting judges, Gibbs Salika, the deputy chief justice, said the court's deliberations had been compromised by the circulation of an e-mail from one of the majority judges which called the O'Neill administration an "illegal regime".

Another dissenting judge said endorsing the majority verdict would be contrary to his judicial oath of office.

A senior member of the office of Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio says the head of state has refused to sign any documents presented by parliamentary elected prime minister Peter O'Neill or from his court-appointed rival for the top job, Sir Michael Somare.

The spokesman says the governor-general has also refused to sign an instrument recalling parliament for a special sitting last week in which the government voted for a state of emergency in three provinces including the capital, Port Moresby.

Source

• Fiji Times
• Keith Jackson and Friends
• Adelaide Now
• Image: The Australian

On Tuesday a crowd variously reported to number 100's to 10,000 people, including students, union members and church members, gathered in a Port Moresby stadium to voice their anger at last week's vote by parliament to defer the election by six months.

With protesters shouting "Rausim, rausim", which means "chase him out", Prime Minister Peter O'Neill assured the crowd his government would not meddle in the electoral process.

On Thursday 5 April O'Neill and 62 other MPs voted to defer the election by six months.

But after a special cabinet meeting on Monday O'Neill said that vote was not binding on the country's Electoral Commission.

He said he wanted elections to proceed as normal, but with the issue of writs deferred by a month to update electoral rolls.

"Parliament will not interfere with the electoral commissioner," he told the crowd, Australian Associated Press reported.

PNG's electoral commissioner Andrew Trawen says he is seeking legal advice on the constitutionality of the decision made by parliament.

"I will proceed to advise the Governor General Sir Michael Ogio to issue writs for the 2012 elections as scheduled on 27th April, 2012," he said.

"And I want the people of PNG to know that I have always maintained that the commission is prepared and the 2012 elections will go ahead as planned."

But Speaker of Parliament, Nape, disagrees and says Mr O'Neill cannot override a decision made by parliament.

To do that he says there would need to be another vote in parliament to rescind the deferral.

"The action taken by the [National Executive Council] and its public servant, the electoral commissioner, is deemed unlawful," he said.

"I have to advise member of NEC, including the prime minister...to simply come to parliament and rescind the motion."

Mr Nape says the six-month delay still stands, and as the Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen has failed to have the voter rolls completed on time and therefore must set new election dates.

"I would like for the electoral commissioner to do his duty by setting new dates for the 2012 general election," he said.

Source

• ABC
• ChannelNewsAsia
• ABC News
• HeraldSun
• AFP
• Radio Australia International
• Radio Australia
• Image: Canberra Times

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

"In all respect to him, we want him to resign," Archbishop Ribat said.

A constitutional law expert says Mr O'Neill has breached the constitution despite winning the support of the governor-general and a majority of MPs to end a week-long political crisis.

Dr Tony Regan, from the Australian National University, says Sir Michael does have a case under PNG's constitution. Yet even if Sir Michael wins, it is unlikely to get him back into office.

Source

• Australia Network News
• Image: Ottawacitizen.com

The churches suggested the grand coalition on last Thursday as the two groups claiming they have the right to run the government remain at loggerheads.

Archbishop John Ribat says they envisage all politicians working together with no opposition.

Such a coalition would be a "Melanesian way" of solving what appears to be an intractable crisis with both Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his opponent Peter O'Neill refusing to back down.

"If they are to release the tension they must come together and either form a grand coalition or negotiate a solution. The Melanesian way is to sit down and work out your differences," said Port Moresby's Catholic Archbishop John Ribat.

"If this situation is prolonged I believe we will not avoid it (violence). There are some opportunists out there that want to capitalise on the situation," Ribat told Reuters.

Church leaders from a number of other denominations have united to call for an end to the tensions. They want the two sides to put aside their differences and form a government of national unity.

Anglican archbishop, Peter Ramsten, says churches will help to facilitate a meeting between the two men.

Paster Joseph Walters form the Assembiles Of God said the best christmas present for Papua New Guineans would be peace and good will.

But Radio Australia PNG correspondent Liam Fox has reported on twitter that Mr O'Neill has rejected the churches call for unity, saying Mr Somare is no longer an MP.

Paul Barker of the Institute of National Affairs (INA) has also suggested that a solution to the PNG Crisis could be found by agreeing on "some sort of caretaker unity government until the elections."

"I mean the elections are just around the corner. The priority should be to try and prepare for the elections and give the voters an opportunity to make their own selection". he said

Barker said he had been told the O'Neill faction was willing to engage and compromise, but the Somare side was less enthusiastic.

The two rival attorneys-general have agreed to meet to try to resolve the PNG crisis.

INA is a privately funded, non-profit policy research institute, or "think tank" based in Port Moresby.

Sources

• Reuters Africa
• Australia Network News
• BrisbaneTimes.com.au
• SMH.co.au
• Image: MacauDailyTimes

O'Neill told the Vatican's Nuncio to PNG that churches have contributed enormously to the country by delivering services to remote areas that the governments have failed to provide for.

O'Neill says churches remain at the forefront of service delivery and their contributions are huge.

He says there had been many foreign dedicated missionaries in the past and his government would like to see them return to help with social services.

O'Neill says the Government's poor record of service delivery was underlined by the fact that despite a windfall of revenue in the last six years, there was very little to show for this on the ground.

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• Image: Robert Claw