The Apostolic Nuncio to PNG, His Excellency Fermín Emilio Sosa Rodríguez, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis presented a third-round of COVID-19 Medical Equipment to the Catholic Church Health Services on the 17th of November in Port Moresby.
Packages containing respirators, masks, battery operated oximeters, and other important items were handed over by the Nuncio during a brief blessing ceremony at the CCHS national office in Boroko. Apart from the donation in kind, the Nuncio gave a check worth of ten thousand kina.
“I have the honor and pleasure as the representative of His Holiness Pope Francis, on his behalf, to convey to the people of Papua New Guinea a gift consisting of medical equipment which the Holy Father wishes to assist in the face of the pandemic.” The Nuncio said.
“This gesture highlights the continuous solicitude of Pope Francis for PNG and expresses his concern for the people and for the Church in Oceania”.
The Archbishop was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea on the 31st of March 2021. This was His Excellency’s first official public engagement after he had presented his Credential Letter to Governor General Sir Bob Dadae. As ambassador of the Pope he will be reporting directly to the Holy See on diplomatic and church matters of the country.
Extending the Holy Father’s invite in staying united, and helping each other, he quoted the Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, 8 February 2021. “2021 is a time that must not be wasted. And it will not be wasted if we can work together with generosity and commitment. In this regard, I am convinced that fraternity is the true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us. Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in today’s world.”
His Excellency expressed his gratitude to the staff of CCHS for their hard work in which has been and will be the source of hope for many people.
“I encourage you to continue your generous service in the spirit of fraternity as the Holy Father is inviting us. I am sure that this donation will be of help in treating patients infected with the coronavirus and will make it a little bit easier to be a brother or a sister to those afflicted.”
National Catholic Health Secretary Sr Jadwiga Faliszek accepted the donations saying, “We are blessed and humbled to receive continuous support from the Holy Father. I assure you that everything we get we treasure and look after well, remembering that through this support and care the people will receive healing.”
St Mary’s Hospital in East New Britain and Raihu Hospital in West Sepik will be receiving this round of donations as it contains respiratory machines that rural doctors working there will need.
Sr Jadwiga stressed that it is important for the staff to not charge patients as these are donations from the Pope which is a blessing and must be given or used freely to help those who cannot afford.
The first donation was made last year and the second mid this year. Both were successfully distributed to the dioceses.
