Christians ‘live simple’

A CATHOLIC priest in Chimbu says his parishioners live with simple faith under difficult conditions and their lifestyles are also being threatened by new ideas.
“These people live in a difficult and rugged terrain. God has put them there. It is their home. All the materials used to build their church was brought in by their grandfatherssaid Fr Christian Sieland of the Kundiawa Diocese.
“They are pleased to have the presence of the church in their area.
“Many of them live a humble life with just enough money to get by with few belongings, but they acknowledge all the blessings God has given to them.
“They don’t starve because God has given them a fertile soil to make their gardens and grow crops. They don’t thirst because God has given them clean and fresh water.”
The priest praised the members of the Catholic Church in that area for their kind gesture and hospitality.
“When I, as their parish priest, go into their homes for a visit or to stay the night with them, they give me the biggest plate full of food and they let me sleep in their best beds under mosquito nets. The care and respect given to a priest in those remote areas really gets to me and I am grateful for that,” Fr Sieland said.
“But how can you refuse such kind gestures and the hospitality coming from simple men and women of faith? They don’t have much to offer, but when they offer you the little they have, it comes from their hearts.”
About 30 per cent of the diocese’s 375,000 people are members of the Catholic Church. The diocese’s territory includes Mt Wilhelm, the country’s highest mountain at nearly 14,800 feet (4509m).
“Some parts are so remote that people have never seen a car,” Fr Sieland said.
“My motivation is simple. If I, an ordained priest, don’t go to these people, who else will?
“Wasn’t I ordained for this purpose, to bring the sacraments to the people and to nourish them with spiritual food, like the Word of God, and the Eucharist?
“No priest means no Eucharist, no confession and no sacraments at all. If I don’t go, then I am depriving them of their rights to receive the Gospel.
“How am I going to justify myself before God for not feeding his lambs, tending his sheep and feeding his sheep?” he said, citing Jesus’ words to St Peter.
“Even if there were only 10 old people to be visited, I would still walk and climb the mountains and cross the rivers to share God’s Word to them.”
The Papua New Guinea Government has not been to the region since independence in 1975.
“But the church has been there ever since the first missionaries from the Society of the Divine Word started to share the Gospel and convert the people in the early 1930s and 1940s,” Fr Sieland said.
“When you see the simple, yet deep faith of the people, and compare it to your own belief which is adorned with certificates, diplomas and degrees, then you begin to appreciate the simple faith of the ‘little ones’ all the more.”
In recent decades, permanent churches have been built. The Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea is transitioning from a missionary phase, though some changes have come too soon.
“Traditional and Western modern values are clashing right now and the younger generation seem a bit lost or confused,” Fr Sieland said.
“Good traditional values that are similar to certain Gospel values are slowly disappearing. In 20 years’ time, they will be gone for good.”
The numbers of foreign missionaries, especially from Europe, have dropped considerably. Even with the help of missionaries from Australia, Poland, India and Indonesia, local clergy still cannot staff all the areas their predecessors vacated.
“Most of the Catholic parishes cover huge areas,” he said.
“Even in the remotest of areas, you will find a small Catholic Church building and maybe even an elementary or primary school and an aid post.”
Fr Sieland said that the Government should be providing these basic services, but the churches have had to fill the gap.
Despite efforts to promote Catholic values at parish schools, the country still faces many challenges posed by western culture, for example the constant use of mobile phone technology and internet access.
“One of the greatest challenges is the loss of Gospel values such as honesty, transparency, respect, love, commitment and dedication in family, in marriage, in the parish, in and out of school,” Fr Sieland said.
He said many teachers lack a stable marriage and face problems with debt or alcohol. Some mismanage the schools’ money. Many students, disrespect teachers and some become addicted to alcohol or marijuana, often affecting their performance at school and life.
Fr Sieland said there are also major problems deeply rooted in Melanesian culture. Polygamous relationships have proved hard to eradicate.
He said there is also a clash between Christianity and traditional beliefs about sorcery.
“If people get sick and die, especially, if they are educated, people blame it on ‘sanguma’ or sorcery,” the Fr Sieland said.
“We still have a lot of sorcery-related violence in PNG, especially in our own province.
“The local church tries everything to challenge this kind of belief, educate the people and eradicate belief in sorcery, but it won’t happen overnight. It takes time.”