Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rabaul (Agenzia Fides) - The family is called to be "domestic Church", a place where you breathe and live holiness: is the invitation of the Archbishop of Rabaul, His Exc. Mgr. Francesco Panfilo sdb, addressed to the faithful during the month of missions, which in the local Catholic community is focused on the theme of Christian life and prayer in the family. The shining example for the families of the diocese, the Archbishop remarks, is the Blessed Peter To Rot, of which the local Church celebrates the centenary of his birth in 2011. Peter To Rot - the first native of Papua New Guinea was put on the register of the Book of Saints of the Catholic Church in 1995 - was martyred in 1945 due to a lethal injection during the Japanese occupation of Rabaul, to "defend the sanctity of marriage and the sacrament of marriage", recalls Mgr. Panfilo in a statement sent to Fides. The general theme of the Jubilee Year is "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12) and "the main objective of the Centenary (which will last until December 30, 2012), is the renewal of family life". This will be done, explains the Archbishop to Fides, "through the study of gospel values as the foundation of family life, to know and appreciate more the sacrament of marriage".
Thereby the Archdiocese carries out its pastoral plan, which aims to rediscover "the vision of the family as domestic Church, a place where parents and children reflect the image of the Blessed Trinity, and where the evidence of relations of love witness Christian love", says the Archbishop.
The Archbishop sent the faithful, during the October mission, his first Pastoral Letter in which he recalled that "the Eucharist is the center and summit of the life of every priest", which is a "right for Christians ". "In most cultures in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, dancing groups in traditional costume is used in the most important celebrations of the people’s life. These dances can also express the joy, happiness and unity of the people during Mass", writes the Archbishop, reminding the faithful that "there is no better way to build Christian community through the Holy Eucharist, the center of the Church".
The same enthusiasm, remarked by Mgr. Panfilo, citing the words of Pope Benedict XVI, is expressed in World Mission Sunday, celebrated on October 23. "The universal mission involves everyone and everything. The Gospel is not an exclusive possession of those who have received it, but it is a gift to be shared and good news for others", concludes the Archbishop, inviting the faithful to rediscover the missionary spirit. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/10/2011)
