Show love, care in communities, says priest

Children and caregivers at the St Jerome Emilani Orphanage
in Mai Parish Kundiawa, Sinasina-Yongomugl, Chimbu.
CHRISTIANS have a duty to extend the virtues of love and care to those in need in their communities, a priest says.
Fr Otto Kupo, steward of St Jerome Emiliani orphanage in Mai parish in Sinasina-Yongomugl, Chimbu, and the orphans marked World Day for the Poor with cake-cutting and sharing of sweets.
A diocese pastoral team led by Judy Gelua included child protection officer Bernard Malle and Family Life coordinator Phillip Kai attended the celebration.
On Sunday, a mass was offered for people living with special needs in PNG with Fr Otto asking the parishioners to pay special attention to people in communities who needed support.
Fr Otto urged Christians to follow Jesus’ attitude to the poor, marginalised and destitute.
Kundiawa Bishop Rev Paul Sundu in his message called on his people to live their lives in preparation for the second coming of Jesus.
Meanwhile, Gelua said one of the seven pillars of the Catholic Church was to care for the poor and vulnerable. This is to be captured in all the social and care giving structures of the Church.
She said as the Church observed the World Poor Day on Sunday, every Christian had to be mindful of how they see and analyse their poor in the community and attend to them.
The Bishops Conference of PNG and the Solomon Islands, in a press release, stated that the theme of 2021 World Poor Day was “The poor you will always have with you”.
The press release also stated Pope Francis message for the poor, “the discovery of Christ in the poor, not only to lend them our voice in their causes, but to be their friends, to listen to them and to welcome the mysterious wisdom that God wants to communicate to us through them”.