Catholic group acting in public interest

 I CANNOT stop laughing from my work station when the elders in the Body of Christ (BOC) supported its advice to the Speaker and question the position of the Catholic Professional Society. 

For the elders of BOC to claim that the Catholic Church was part of the BOC in advising the Speaker to destroy lintels and cultural symbols in Parliament in the name of “reforming parliament”  is not true. 

The Catholic Church and its followers are religious and educated people who will not go down low to support the destructive agenda of the Speaker and his cohorts. 

The elders of the BOC failed to understand the position of the Catholic Professional Society in questioning its move to refer the Speaker to Ombudsmen Commission. 

The destruction of cultural symbols in the name of Christianity is cleverly designed and executed by the Speaker against the national interest. 

The Speaker’s reform programme forced our Members of Parliament, including our Prime Minister to participate in the way he did. 

In PNG we know, the Speaker can and make governments to pursue own parochial interest. 

Also in PNG, the people find it hard to offer critical debates and arguments on matters relating to Christianity. 

This is evident in street preachers invading public spaces in urban centers and capping with our politicians keeping quiet and allowing the Speaker to invade parliament. 

While the BOC finds it convenient to comment and support the Speaker’s reform initiative, the Catholic Church has made its position public through its hierarchy. 

The Catholic Church did not support the destruction of cultural symbols and lintels in Parliament.  The cultural symbols and lintels belong to the people of this country. They do not belong to an individual or group. 

It is for this reason that the Catholic Professional Society is taking a matter that is of national interest  a step further as a responsible civil society organisation. 

There is nothing for Catholic Professional Society to gain but it is also not right for this society to sit back and allow a the Speaker to abuse his position by destroying our cultural symbols.  

Such emerging challenge requires Christians to rise above the challenge and deal with it from a national perspective rather than a piecemeal Christian approach. 

Bomai D Witne 

Goroka, EHP