Port Moresby: During the celebrations on the Feast of St Francis de Sales, Catholic Bishops Conference General Secretary Fr Giorgio Licini PIME shared why the Bishops of PNGSI chose to focus this year’s Pastoral Letter on children and youths.
(CBC General Secretary Reverend Fr Giorgio Licini PIME)
Rev. Fr Giorgio began his talk with the African Proverb: The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth then went on to share his opinions on how best citizens can help children and stressed that families play a crucial role in the formation of children.
“It is alarming to see the foundation of a family lose its essence in society in this day and age. We see children suffering and paying for the choices made by their parents. When we talk about family, we are talking about years and years of preparation by the parents; financially, mentally and with material things like having a house.”
He challenged us to ask ourselves what kind of families we want to have in society and to contribute to raising good families.
Fr Giorgio said for every child their upbringing should start at home and the church. Parents must set an example for children at a very young age to avoid issues that would involve children in the future like the looting that occurred on black Wednesday.
“Parents are the first teacher at home, a child must be formed at home. Teaching them the Catholic faith and Christian values and taking them to church every Sunday is as important as normal education” added Fr Giorgio Licini.
He also encouraged the media who are part of the celebration to promote positive stories about children and not always report only the bad stories.
“Churches also have to be recognized in their efforts in providing the basic services like health and education to the families, especially children in rural areas where the government is absent.”
Fr Giorgio applauded the government, non-government organizations and churches for trying their best to address issues that are affecting the children and youths of Papua New Guinea.
He concluded his talk by encouraging CBC and other stake holders to be committed in promoting programs and initiatives for children and youth.
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