Port Moresby: The 64 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBC) of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands was held from April 18 - 28 with the goal “A life of Communion, Participation, and Mission as Salt and Light of the Earth”.
The AGM brought 19 Archbishops and Bishops from the Archdioceses and Dioceses of Papua New Guinea and 3 from the Solomon Islands together where they met, discussed, and made decisions for the Catholic Church and its Pastoral service in the two countries; Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The 22 bishops had the meeting for two weeks with continuous assistance from the hardworking and generous staff of CBC, in Port Moresby.
Activities during the AGM compromised of Eucharistic celebrations for the days; mornings and afternoons, in-house information, Lauds and Retreat, encounters like the human and religious formation of children, youths, and the seminarians of the Catholic Theological Institute in Bomana, reports from commission heads, masses in Port Moresby parishes, the Central Committee’s meeting, the Apostolic Nuncio’s address, CBC General Secretary’s Report, the election of new CBC president, appointments for Bishop’s Deputies for commissions, the election of Heads of Committee members and lastly, the closing mass for the Annual General Meeting for this year on Friday April 28.
The outcome of the election of the new CBC President saw Bishop of Bereina Diocese Otto Separy elected as the new president with Bishop Rozario Menezes SSM of Lae Diocese elected as the vice-president. Other members of the Central Committee include Bishop Donald Lippert OFM Cap, Bishop Pedro Baquero SDB, Bishop Francis Meli, and CBC General Secretary Fr. Giorgio Licini PIME.
After the closing mass, Fr Giorgio Licini PIME had the privilege to announce to the CBC staff the newly elected Central Committee members and commission heads for CBC. He also expressed his appreciation and congratulatory messages to all the Bishops from all the Dioceses as well as CBC staff.
The outgoing President for CBC Archbishop Anton Bal also expressed the sentiment of appreciation to everyone who made the AGM a successful one and also congratulated and wished all the bishops the very best in their new roles and their walk in journeying together in Synodality.
The incoming CBC president Bishop Otto Separy also acknowledged and appreciated his brother Bishops for trusting him and electing him to be the new president of the CBC PNGSI. He also thanked all the CBC staff and the management for their hospitality and everyone for their continuous support towards the bishops and all the faithful of the church.