The Catholic Bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands has extended the call by Pope Francis for the world to promote peace.
General Secretary, Father Victor Roche, says world leaders likewise our national leaders in the country, must be at the forefront to promote peace and goodwill to the people and the communities at large.
2018 was welcomed with Prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving by the Catholic faithful around the world, celebrating the solemnity of Mary Mother of God and World Day of Peace.
At Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis prayed for world peace, as the World Day of Peace.
Pope Francis said that humanity had “wasted and wounded” the year “in many ways with works of death, with lies and injustices”,
2017 had been marred by war, lies and injustice, and he urged people to take responsibility for their actions.
War was the most obvious sign of “unrepentant and absurd pride”, many other transgressions had caused “human, social and environmental degradation”.
“Even 2017, which was a whole and healthy year when God gave it to us, we humans have wasted and wounded it in many ways with works of death, with lies and injustices. Wars are the flagrant indication of this unrepentant and absurd pride. But so are all the small and great offences to life, to truth, to fraternity, which cause multiple forms of human, social and environmental degradation. We want to take, and we must take responsibility for everything before God, our brothers and our creation.”
General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon’s Islands, Father Victor Roche, said it’s the peace that unites the world and also Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile the Catholic Church at every first day of the year dedicates the New Year to God where the Universal Catholic Church gathers to celebrate the Feast of Mary Mother of God.
