Council wants separate department for religion

THE Council of Churches has urged Prime Minister James Marape to consider having a separate department for religion.
General secretary Rev Roger Joseph in a statement said having religion as a standalone entity would justify the preamble of the constitution which declared PNG as a Christian country.
Joseph said Marape’s strong Christian background gave the churches the confidence to trust his leadership.
“We also trust that his fear and reverence for God will help maintain justice for all, respect for the rights of all, and ensure integrity for our environment which is a very source of our survival and livelihood,” Rogers said.
“We want to assure the Marape Government of the same continued and ongoing prayer and moral obligation to ensure God’s divine leadership, wisdom, and intelligence is sought to enable his leadership.”
Rogers also thanked former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for his leadership over the past eight years.
“We pay tribute to the Alotau Accord during which the decision for religion to come under the Department of Community Development was made,” Rogers said.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops of PNG is urging the new government to work collectively in making good laws and delivering basic services that will benefit the people.
The Bishops mentioned several issues that needed the attention of the government to help develop the country.
One of them is to improve basic service delivery in rural and urban areas in improving public service, education for children and medicine in health centres, roads and agriculture.
Improving jobs opportunities, entertainment and sports facilities will also help to reduce negative behaviour among youths and reduce social issues in communities, the organisation said in a statement.