Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Port Moresby (Agenzia Fides) - There is a growing need for an awakening and a new evangelization in the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea and in the world. The appeal comes from Fr. Victor Roche, SVD, Secretary for the New Evangelization. "There is a need for greater religious fervor among Catholics. The Catholic faithful are there - declares the SVD missionary - but in faith it is necessary to live in Christ, therefore a 'rebirth' in the Catholic Church is necessary. Evangelization is a term that Catholics do not normally interpret fully. We are used to associating 'Evangelism' or 'Evangelization' with Protestants or Evangelicals. Our task as a Church is to renew the interest and strengthen the faith of Catholics.
In the past, Pope Saint John Paul II, in Haiti, in 1983, said to the Bishops of Latin America: "there is a need for greater commitment for a New Evangelization, new in ardor, method and expression". Pope Francis also returns to the concept when he says that "the joy of the Gospel springs from the encounter with Jesus. We need a free and simple Church, which does not think about the exterior, we must not be afraid of making mistakes and following new paths" .
The Secretary also said that in the seminars conducted in the last 15 months in the country, between February 2020 and May 2021, about 450 Catholic priests, religious and lay people, faced the question of what are the positive aspects and challenges of the Catholic Church in PNG and what are the possible solutions. Comments included that there is a need for faith formation in families, schools and parishes.
"Some Catholics, especially young people, leave the Catholic Church to join other churches", explains Fr. Victor, "therefore it is necessary to have programs for young people projected on the teaching of the Catholic faith and the Bible. Catholics need to experience Jesus through personal prayer, family prayer, community prayer, and through parish meetings and retreats. Catholics must be taught how to evangelize others and go out and preach in the streets".
In 1976 there were 619,814 Catholics in Papua New Guinea, out of a total population of 2,078,560, with a percentage of 29.8%. Every 10 years a census is carried out in the country and, for 2021, experts give a percentage projection of 25.7%, with a decrease of 4.1% of the Catholic population in Papua New Guinea. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 4/6/2021)
