Death of priest finally revealed

The National Main Stories

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
ABOUT 20,000 Fuyuge language speakers in the Goilala district have finally revealed the truth about how French priest Fr Jules Dubey died 68 years ago.
They also sought forgiveness from the French government and the Catholic Church for lying about Fr Jules’ death on Aug 6, 1952.
Fr Jules was a priest of the Order of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) of Jesus.
They claimed in a reconciliation ceremony last week that they had not been successful in education and business because they had lied about the death.
They also presented about K240,000 worth of gold nuggets to Bishop Otto Separy of the Bereina Dioceses to express their apology for lying that Fr Jules was buried alive in a tunnel that he was digging at the Ononge Catholic Parish. In fact, their grandfathers had killed him in the tunnel.
The two-day ceremony that started on Wednesday was done with traditional rituals, with the sharing of betel nuts and pig-slaughtering, followed with a mass on Thursday at the Woitape local level government (LLG), Central.
French Ambassador to PNG Philippe Janvier-Kamiyama, Culture Arts and Tourism Minister Emil Tammur, Community Youth and Religion Minister Wake Goi, Goilala MP and Transport Minister William Samb, Bishop Otto, MSC provincial Fr John Willio and retired French priest Fr Albert Boudaut, who was also the last French priest at Ononge Parish, attended the ceremony.
The villagers came from all over the LLG to the Ononge Parish for the ceremony.
They had to walk for two days, climbing and descending mountains, crossing swift rivers and sleeping in villages along the way.
During the second day of the ceremony, Udaba Valley paramount chief Casmiro Aia said they were sorry for the killing of Fr Jules.
“We want to say sorry for what our grandfathers did in 1952. We lied that the late Fr Jules was buried alive when the tunnel he was digging caved in,” he said.
“That lie was also recorded in the history books of the work of Catholic Church in PNG.
“But the truth is our grandfathers had killed him in the tunnel and reported that he was buried alive.
“And this lie was passed on and now we want to say sorry and tell the truth.”
Aia said Fr Jules was killed after he reported the killing of his local (sheep) shepherd to the patrol officer (kiap) at Tapini Station.
“The kiap sent a police team to investigate,” Aia said.
“Instead they arrested the chiefs and tortured them by stripping them naked and burning them with firewood in a humiliating manner before the villagers.
“They then took them to jail at Tapini and spent some months there. Upon their release and because the chiefs were humiliated, they plotted to kill Fr Dubey.”
Fr Jules was born in 1887 in Coublanc in France and joined the MSC in 1905 as a Catholic priest.
He came to PNG in 1913 to become the priest of the Ononge Parish.”

23 comments

  • As a native of Goilala and a proud Fujuge, I share my gratitude and appreciation to the organizers of this event. I’m proud to see this reconciliation ceremony happen for better things to happen/take place in our District.
    Very well organized.

  • When the timing is right, things are being exposed, for the salvation of these people, you confess to the bottom of its roots so there is blessings for you & the next generations, you must invite Godly people so in their presence, your sins& generations curses my be blotted out. 2020 is the year of repentance…..

  • Wow this is a interesting history.. Joe well done for the good of Goilala People. Blessings upon them for they are confessed and repent.

  • What was a priest doing in the tunnel where he was murdered? It could have been a different story if he was somewhere else. thinkthink nomre.

  • fascinating news. Thank you Goilala people for putting the record straight. The good priest can now rest peacefully in his grave.

  • Still Goilala will hardly improve…??? Unless Goilala people admitts in front of a real blood family of late Fr. Jules. Then only your sins be forgiven..AMEN..!!!

  • When the timing is right and the season is right, and it was the Lord Almighty’s will for you all to repent and confess your inequities and turn to God and he wants to bless your land, your families, your leaders and open the floodgates HEAVEN for the long missed and waited blessings.well done countrymen … God bless.

  • Just do not accept the sorry money and whatever from such animals. They will all die of sin

  • At last the truth of their scavenging in Pomies has revealed. They have been in curse for years for the sins of their ancestors. Now the children have confessed and repented, let there be forgiveness from God and the France people; we can see healing, deliverance and restoration taking place in their lives and the generations to come.
    Let this story be a lesson to PNG’ and those who have murdered missionaries around the country come to the table and say sorry to God this month; FOR WE ARE IN THE COVENANT MONTH :- 26TH AUGUST IS THE COVENANT DAY, THIS NATION TURNING 13 YEARS FROM 2007, where the fathers of PNG cut the COVENANT with God of Israel and King of the Universe.
    Thank you God for realeasing your people of Goilala from your wrath.

  • The Goaribari’s of Kikori in the Gulf Province also did the same reconciliation thing for killing Rev. James Charlmers in the 1940s.
    They hopped the ‘curse’ would be lifted……..to this day nothing has changed.
    They still remain the same, if not it is harder than before.

    Goaribari island is deserted, the population has scattered and the sea is slowly eroding the island.

  • God is honored. Greater blessings in whatever level is coming your way. Seeking forgiveness provides the foundation for freeing the heart, mind and soul so that blessing from heaven will be poured down in terms of education, business, peace, happiness and putting God first.

  • There has to be a lot of commitments made to see the God we serve, one day commitment is still not enough, we serve him, honor, glorify his Name, this is a life thing, daily commitment you make, you draw him down, He sees your faithfulness, then he blesses……..

  • Lungipin Puritae. You must have been supernatural person that’s why you made such a discriminative remarks against Goilala people. Shame on you…you are another longlong on this planet earth. You should not be living alive or should have been death and stinging somewhere. Tingting gut na toktok.

    You better get your head straight. God bless goilala people for the reconciliation.

    • Thanks Andy. What he said tells us about about what is in him. The mouth speaks what is in the heart.

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