John Ribat

O’Neill made the invitation during a meeting with Sir John Ribat, the Archbishop of Port Moresby who is soon to be elevated as Papua New Guinea’s first Cardinal, and Archbishop Kurian Mathew Vayalunkal, the new Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands on Thursday.

O’Neill said he had asked the Apostolic Nuncio to pass on our thanks to the Holy Father for elevating one of our Sons to such an important position in the Catholic Church.

“This is an honor for our people and we are proud of our first Cardinal. 

The signing supports Pope Francis’ call to protect God’s creation and the poor who suffer most from its exploitation.

Ribat is the President of the Federation of the Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO) while Roche is the General Secretary of the FCBCO.

Roche explained that  the 10-point proposal calls for governments throughout the world to approve legally binding limits to global average temperatures set a mid-century goal for complete decarbonisation.