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
  

This is the first time Papua New Guinea and Solomon islands have held a conjunct General Assembly.

The theme of the Assembly is "Give me some water that I amy never be thirsty again"

Each of the 3 dioceses in the Solomon Islands and 19 diocese in Papua New Guinea has been invited to send 6 participants; three men, a Bishop a priest and a layman, and three women, one of who is a member of a religious order.

On Tuesday the hosting President of Divine Word University, Fr. Jan Czuba,reminded the participants of the challenges for the Church in the Pacific in this time of changes. "Values and doctrines do not change," he said, "but the ways we live, learn and take risks change".

Archbishop Douglas Young of Mt. Hagen traced the immediate motivation of the General Assembly to the April 2013 Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea on the "Year of Faith" generating an "Assembly of Faith", that may be able to generate in its turn a witnessing community.

The key question to guide the reflection and prayer of the General Assembly is "What is God asking of us now as Church of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea?" It is hope that the deliberation on this question may inspire a five-year pastoral plan.

The General Assembly coordinator Fr. Roger Purcell, says the New Evangelisation is the horizon of the General Assemby while the original source of it is the Vatican Council 2 and the renewal it brought about.

Continuity was also stressed by Archbishop Steven Reichert Madang with the first post Vatican Council 2 comprehensive "self-study " of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea in 1992 and the first General Assembly in Vunapope, Rabaul in 2004.

On Wednesday morning Dr. Catherine Nongkas of Divine Word University, Madang delivered her key note address on "Year of Faith, New Evangelization"

In her address she high-lighted the widespread and deepening trend of secularization.

"Faith and Christian way of living are no longer broadly accepted in many quarters - she said".

The number of practicing faithful seems to be dwindling. At the same time faith needs to challenge the culture, both traditional and modern. Christianity calls for life in a community and this provides an alternative to rampant individualism. Traditional sorcery believes, urban poverty and the breakdown of the family become the environment of the witnessing of faith.

Source

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

This leads to persecution and killing of innocent people conveniently identified with the weakest and defenceless in society. Instead, "If someone gets sick, don't even talk about sanguma. The only power sanguma has comes from people talking about it and fearing it", write the five bishops of whom two, Arnold Orowae of Wabag and Anton Bal of Kundiawa (coordinator of the group), are men from the Highlands.

PNG plunged into a crisis a few months ago when a young mother was burned alive in Mt. Hagen following allegations of having caused the sickness and death of a small boy. Government enhanced tougher legislation, but law enforcement agencies will not be able to cope unless the cultural and spiritual change the bishops intend to spearhead takes place.

Read Bishop's Statement

• Image: FBCDN Photos

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

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 both Holy Spirit Seminary and its offshoot, Catholic Theological Institute, share this jubilee celebration.

Among the many highlights of the Jubilee celebrations two can be mentioned: first, the Singkai Lecture given by Fr. Ommerborn SVD which explored the beginning of seminary education in Melanesia culminating in the creation of Holy Spirit seminary and second, the presence of five bishops and many priests, all graduates of Holy Spirit Seminary-Catholic Theological Institute who shared their reflections of life over the years at CTI-Holy Spirit Seminary with the present student community.

Holy Spirit Seminary began in 1963 at Kap, Madang. At its commencement there were about thirty students from various regions of the country: Manus Island, Bougainville, Yule Island, Wewak, Goroka and four students were from the Solomon Islands. The staff in the early years were all members of the Society of the Divine Word. A few months earlier, on December 8th 1962, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) erected its seminary at Bomana and classes commenced early in 1963. The buildings were located on the grounds of what is now the campus of De La Salle Secondary School. Soon both communities were to be united.

In 1965 when the bishops were in Rome participating in the Second Vatican Council they made the decision to move Holy Spirit Seminary to Bomana, thus establishing one major seminary in the country for clerical religious and seminarians which was staffed by MSC and SVD priests. Over time other religious orders built houses on the seminary campus: Marist Fathers, Capuchin Friars, Franciscan Friars, Society of the Divine Word, Dominican Friars and Mariannhill Missionaries. The Passionist and the Salesian seminarians, while residing off campus, also attended Catholic Theological Institute.

Today the number of seminarians and clerical religious enrolled at Catholic Theological Institute is 120. Another 130 are enrolled in seminaries in other provinces of the country and in the Solomon Islands: Vanimo, Ropollo, Banz and Honiara, Solomon Islands. CTI's curriculum is primarily oriented to the formation of priests, but it warmly welcomes members of religious congregations and lay people. There are a small number at present enrolled. Also for much of CTI's existence the Anglican Church has sent some of its seminarians and priests to study at CTI. Their presence on campus has strengthened the already strong bonds between the two communions.

Source

• Fr. David Willis - President, Catholic Theological Institute
• Image: stevenswindow.blogspot.nz

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