The delegates of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania Assembly concluded their meeting on 17th April with a Thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration at the Airways Hotel, Port Moresby.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, Cardinal John Ribat msc, president of the FCBCO Assembly, then presented a beautiful copper beaten and glass framed ‘lakatoi’ to Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, Archbishop of Fiji. The CEPAC Conference will host the next FCBCO Assembly in 4 years’ time.
As he presented it, he spoke of the double hulled sailing watercraft of Papua New Guinea that was traditionally used in the Hiri trade. It was the Lakatoi that was used for voyages and it carried the men to the different sites and brought them safely back.
“May this symbolic presentation of the Lakatoi be a reminder for us to go out and carry the ‘Good News’ to people of all the islands,” said the Cardinal.
Archbishop Peter thanked Cardinal Ribat for the symbolic and beautiful reminder.
He said that they will do their best to prepare well for the next Assembly and highlight issues that are relevant to the region.
The PNGSI and CEPAC Bishops will meet as Conferences for their AGM meetings at Emmaus Conference Centre and at the Edgewood Hotel today.
(Cardinal John Ribat handing over the glass-framed Lakatoi)