By KEVIN PAMBA
DIVINE Word University (DWU) staff members have been encouraged to have an “ecumenical mind” and treat all Christian churches equally.
President of the university Fr Jan Czuba SVD made the call when opening the new academic year for the staff at Sir Peter Barter Auditorium of DWU in Madang last Tuesday.
Fr Czuba said that the university was inviting pastors and missionaries from all Christian churches to offer chaplaincy and pastoral services to the students and staff under an ecumenical spirit.
“As a university, we should treat all churches equally because they are very important as partners,” Fr Czuba said.
He is a priest from the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) order of the Catholic church.
“We need to open our minds as academics and have an ecumenical mind for the holistic education of our students,” Fr Czuba said.
He said the university respected the different church affiliations and practices of staff members.
“But these differences should not stand in the way of being open to
other church denominations,” he said.
Fr Czuba said that the staff should lead students in an ecumenical way, respecting the church affiliations of one another.
Vice-president academic Br Andrew Simpson encouraged the staff to provide pastoral care for students wherever they could.
Br Simpson said it was critical in assisting the young adults coming to the university.
“Some of them come with drug and alcohol problems and it is our duty to help them in a Christian way,” Br Simpson added.