Fr Victor Roche

“During this Independence Day, it is good that we reflect on the blessings we have received as a country. We have to thank God for our journey from our humble beginnings to this day,” said Fr Victor.

He said that for many centuries we have been living in our small and scattered communities and villages hidden from the outside world. However, today, we are connected to the rest of the world community as one nation.

General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG and Solomon Islands, Fr Victor Roche, says although PNG and the Oceania region are not directly affected by this, the Catholic Church in the Oceania region is determined to address this during the Assembly of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conference of Oceania this month.

“The Conference will be an opportune time to reflect on this, specifically on youths, their faith and their vocation,” added Fr Victor.

Speaking on behalf of the Church, general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG and Solomon Islands, Fr Victor Roche, says a well-off country like Australia should show compassion and welcome some of the refugees.

Fr Victor was recently in Manus where he was allowed into the Lombrum naval base.

He experienced firsthand how the remaining 300-plus asylum seekers were managing themselves after the closure.

“There are 111 parliamentarians but shockingly all of them are men! There are no women. Our House of Parliament is a ‘Hausman’ (house of men)!” said Fr Victor Roche.

He is calling on all members of parliament including the opposition to vote for the proposal.

There are only 6 nations in the world where there are no women representatives in the parliament. PNG is one of them.

Roche questioned why women were undermined even though 48.9% of PNG’s population are female.

In the same way, it has also called for parliament to be recalled so urgent matters like the ongoing university stand offs can be debated to find a way forward.

Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG and Solomon Islands, Fr Victor Roche, raised these concerns following fresh violence at the university yesterday and today that saw the burning down of cars and buildings and destruction of university properties.