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September 2024

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Call for Peace and Progress this Independence

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Citizens across Papua New Guinea are celebrating the nation’s 49th Independence Anniversary.

During the flag lowering ceremony today at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby, the Governor General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae called for peace and progress in his Independence anniversary address.

Reflecting on the nation’s journey, Sir Bob paid tribute to the brave individuals who fought for freedom during World War II and the leaders who laid the foundation for independence in 1975.

He emphasized the importance of the principles of freedom, unity, and peace that were embedded in the country’s Constitution.

Despite progress, Sir Bob acknowledged challenges that have hindered social and economic growth. He urged government departments to focus on achieving practical outcomes and work closely with the private sector and international partners to drive industrialization and economic development.

Governor General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae, giving his address at the Independence Day flag lowering ceremony at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium, Port Moresby.
Governor General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae, giving his address at the Independence Day flag lowering ceremony at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium, Port Moresby.

Sir Bob highlighted the need for a safe and stable environment for both citizens and investors. He stressed the importance of adhering to Christian values and the message of peace promoted during the recent visit by the Holy Father of the Catholic Church.

He addressed the ongoing issues of crime and lawlessness, urging communities to support law enforcement and work towards safer neighborhoods.

The Governor General encouraged Papua New Guineans to shift away from relying solely on government support, advocating for hard work, discipline, and self-reliance to achieve personal success and contribute to national prosperity.

As the nation looks forward to its 50th year of independence in 2025, Sir Bob called for renewed commitment to the values of freedom, unity, and peace.

“Happy 49th Independence Anniversary, Papua New Guinea!” he concluded, wishing blessings and guidance for the journey ahead.

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Sport

Yemini Pursues Kumuls Dream

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Timon Yemeni

BRISBANE, Australia – Timon Yemini is a rising star of Papua New Guinea rugby league.

A young prospect carving his own path in the rugby league scene in Brisbane, Australia.

It is on the field that Yemini shines as the lock forward for Carina Tigers, a local club in the Brisbane Rugby League Competition.

Now 23, the Carina Tigers lock forward stands 180cm and tips the scale at 102kg; and with some serious pedigree in the sport, has begun to make some noise on the local rugby league scene in the game he so dearly loves.

In 2023, Yemini took to the field with the Kokomo Nines representing Papua New Guinea in the annual Queensland Pacific Cup which they won.

He impressed enough to earn a two-year rugby league contract with the Carina Tigers in the Brisbane Rugby League competition.

As the accomplishments stack up for Yemini, he’s inching closer to realizing his ultimate dream of playing for the Papua New Guinea Kumuls.

As a young boy growing up in Kaundaka village, Upper Mendi in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, Yemini has drawn inspiration from Kumuls players such as Wellington Albert to motivate him in his rugby league journey.

It was in Mendi that Yemini developed his love for the game we call rugby league.

From 2014 to 2017, the schoolboys rugby league competition in Mendi provided the exposure that Yemini needed to kick start his rugby league career.

And in 2019, Yemini impressed selectors during the Ipatas cup and was signed by Hela Wigmen but had to put on hold his rugby to complete his year 12 studies in 2021.

Yemini’s talents were sought after by rugby league franchises in Papua New Guinea who were eagerly awaiting his return to the field.

The young Kaundaka man did not disappoint the selectors with his performance in the Southern Highlands Provincial 9s rugby league competition while playing with the TNT Brothers in Mendi.

In 2021, Yemini was scouted by the Enga Mioks rugby league club and made his debut in the Digicel cup.

His rise in the national rugby league competition would see him play for the Port Moresby Vipers in 2022 for three months before moving to Brisbane.

The journey may be long but Yemini is putting in the work with the Carina Tigers and is determined to be eligible for the Papua New Guinea Kumuls in the coming years.

Written by: Mickey Kavera (Contributor)

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Sport

Premiership window wide open: Roosters skipper Tedesco

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James Tedesco wearing a Rooster Jersey standing with his arms crossed in front of the Sydney Opera House.

James Tedesco has laughed off suggestions the Sydney Roosters’ premiership window is closing as the side uses its imminent exodus as motivation this NRL finals series.

The Roosters will lose around 900 games and eight premierships worth of first-grade experience when they farewell Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joey Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Luke Keary and Sitili Tupouniua this summer.

36-year-old centre Michael Jennings, the NRL’s oldest player, and third-string hooker Zach Dockar-Clay could join that list given neither holds a contract for 2025.

The changes will force the Tricolours to nominate two new first-choice centres, bank on Sandon Smith as Sam Walker’s full-time halves partner and find a new forward pack leader as the influential Waerea-Hargreaves heads to England.

But their ability to contend with on-field reconfigurations will be under the microscope even before then as Walker and Brandon Smith miss the play-offs, starting with Friday’s qualifying final against Penrith.

The Roosters were hot-and-cold beating lowly South Sydney in their first game without the injured pair and Victor Radley, sidelined with a shoulder issue.

James Tedesco of the Roosters makes a break during the NRL Round 27 match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters at Accor Stadium.
James Tedesco of the Roosters makes a break during the NRL Round 27 match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters at Accor Stadium Friday, September 6, 2024. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

“‘Rads’ is still confident that he can be back during the finals some time, we’ve just got to see how it’s healing,” said Roosters captain Tedesco.

“The other two boys are doing it tough but they’re still in good spirits so that’s good.”

The Roosters have made finals in 11 of the last 12 seasons and Tedesco is adamant that even after Keary and co. left, their premiership window would not close.

“No, not at all,” he said laughing.

“(The window) is closing on their time at the Roosters and we want to make the most of that for those guys leaving.”

It nevertheless feels like the end of an era for Tedesco, who played alongside the departing Keary, Waerea-Hargreaves and Manu in the Roosters’ 2018 and 2019 premiership seasons.

Mark Nawaqanitawase’s stunning NRL debut against Souths will have assured the Roosters the ex-Wallaby can become a bonafide starter in the backline next year, while Sandon Smith has the chance to prove himself as an NRL-calibre half replacing Walker this finals series.

Nevertheless, Tedesco admitted it would be difficult for the Roosters to replace their outgoing brigade.

“The guys that are leaving at the end of the year are so big for our club, have been legends of our club now for a number of years now. It is sad to see a lot of those guys go,” he said.

“You can’t just replace guys like that but we’ve talked about that amongst ourselves and at the club that this is a great opportunity for us.

“We won’t be able to play with these guys again (after finals).

“We won’t leave any stone unturned, just go all in at training and away from training and make sure we’re as prepared as we can for Friday.”

WRITTEN BY: Jasper Bruce (AAP)

PHOTO FILE: (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) AAP ©

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News

Tomuriesa ashamed of Marape’s actions over Papal visit

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Douglas Tomuriesa, Pope Francis and James Marape

Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa said he is disappointed and embarrassed over the way His Holiness Pope Francis was treated by Prime Minister James Marape over the last three-days during the Papal visit, and the lack of courtesy and respect shown by the Prime Minister.

He said the Prime Minister continuously declares PNG as a ‘Christian country’ and prides himself on being a religious individual but he was surprised when the Pope was continuously snubbed by the PM over the weekend since the Pope’s arrival on Friday.

“The Pope is the head of the Catholic church, the largest Christian church in the world and he is also a head of state.

“PNG not only being a Christian country, but a country that prides itself as a ‘friend to all, enemy to none’, the PM should be according the Pope with the highest level of respect,” Tomuriesa said.

The Opposition Leader pointed out that on Friday, the Prime Minister did not welcome the Pope at the airport, a tradition he had accorded to many other world leaders.

Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso had to step in.

“On Saturday, the Prime Minister again failed to attend the gathering at APEC Haus where I and many other Members of Parliament on both sides met the Pope.

“Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae had to step in on behalf of the State. Even Prime Ministers from our neighbouring Pacific Island countries were in attendance but not our own PM.

“And yesterday, the most disappointing display of all occurred when the PM missed his one-on-one meeting with the Pope at his residence in the morning.

“Per information reported, the organising committee said they were waiting for the PM to make his way but failed to turn up on time.

“As a result, the PM had an impromptu meeting with the Pope at the stadium after mass which is very inhospitable and shameful.

“If Indonesia, a majority Islamic nation, can set aside their religious differences to show respect to an important global leader, then I don’t know why our own PM can’t do the same.

“I know the Pope will not be bothered by this disrespect as he is a very forgiving and loving man, but as a Papua New Guinean, I am utterly ashamed and disappointed,” Tomuriesa said.

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Religion

One Language of Love

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Pope Francis being wheeled in a wheelchair at Caritas Technical Secondary School in Port Moresby

Pope Francis’ last day in Papua New Guinea was committed to talking to the youths.

The approach was different with more interaction with all the youths that gathered at the Sir John Guise Outdoor Stadium.

He advised the youths to share one language of love and not indifference.

“Indifference is something very difficult, very ugly,” the Pontiff said.

“Indifference, we’re just concerned about ourselves and our own interests, it’s all about us, it’s about ego.”

Instead the Pope encouraged the youths to have one common language. The language of love.

He posed the question to a stadium filled with students from all catholic run schools and church youth groups.

“What is the language that unites us, keeps us together?”

They echoed “love”.

“I hope all of you speak the most profound language of love that would be “wantoks” of love.

“This unity in love, which you will be able to find through friendship with Jesus, will help with overcoming loneliness and allow you to search together for ways to be better people.

“It will also help you to be better equipped to take charge of your lives and make courageous decisions: to say “no” to drugs and alcohol; “no” to pornography, which leaves people sad and empty; “no” to all forms of violence!”

He also had another great request for the youth.

“Something I am about to tell you may seem a-bit strange but there’s something very important in life of young people- closeness to your grandparents and elders.”

The Pope lead them in shouting “Long live grandparents”.

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Religion

Missionaries of Peace and Love

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Pope Francis in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea.

Vanimo, West Sepik – As Pope Francis boarded the Australian Air Force C130 for Port Moresby yesterday evening, his last message to the people of Vanimo was – be missionaries of peace and love wherever you are.

In his three hour visit to Vanimo, the Pope highlighted the importance of being instruments of peace and love. He said Vanimo town is blessed with its natural beauty and the people must see this as a sign of harmony.

“The Lord entrusts this richness to you, so that you too may live united in harmony with him, and with your brothers and sisters, respecting our common home and looking after one another.

“Looking around us, we see the ‘sweetness’ of nature. Yet when we look to ourselves, we realize that there is an even more beautiful sight: that which grows in us when we love one another,” the Pope said.

Be missionaries of peace and Love wherever you are.
Faithfuls in Vanimo, waved the PNG flag as Pope Francis passed by.

The Pope further encouraged everyone to be missionaries of peace and love, saying that love can break barriers and end all despair.

“Jesus taught us this when he said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” Mt 22:35-40.

“In this way, we will increasingly form a great orchestra, able with its notes to recompose rivalries, to overcome divisions – personal, family and tribal, to drive out fear, superstition and magic from our hearts, to put an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse, evils which imprison and take away the happiness of so many of our brothers and sisters,” he said.

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Pope Francis Encourages Closeness to Christ

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“We too can become cutoff from the communication and friendship with God and our brothers and sisters when instead of our ears and tongue, our hearts become blocked.”

Celebrating the Holy Mass in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Sunday (8th September), Pope Francis shared two interpretations of the Gospel of Mark, chapter 7:31-37 where Jesus healed the deaf and mute person.

“In St Marks account there are two things that is emphasized, the distance of the deaf man and the nearness of Jesus.

“Let us reflect on these two features the distance of the deaf man, we see him in a geographical area that we would call in today’s language the periphery. The deaf man was distant, the Pope said, in that he hailed from the Decapolis, a land inhabited by pagans far from the religious centre of Jerusalem.

He was “cut off from the world, isolated, a prisoner of his deaf and mute condition.

“Because of their pagan customs it was considered an impure territory far from God, what is more, this deaf man also experienced another kind of distance, he is far from God and from others because he cannot communicate; he is deaf and unable to hear and he is also mute he cannot speak, he is cutoff from the world, a prisoner in his deaf and mute condition a prisoner that cannot communicate,” Pope Francis added.

Pope Francis said there could also be another interpretation of the deaf man’s situation.

“Indeed, there is a kind of inner deafness and muteness of heart that occurs when we close in on ourselves or shut ourselves from God and others through selfishness, indifference, fear of taking risks or putting ourselves on the line, resentment hatred and the list could go on.

All these, distances us from God, from our brothers and sisters and ourselves and from the Joy of living,” Pope Francis concluded.

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Marape Calls on Papua New Guineans to take Pope’s Message of Service, Peace and Unity into Independence

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Prime Minister James Marape Meets Pope Francis

Prime Minister James Marape and his wife, Rachel Marape today joined hundreds of Catholics in the country to celebrate the Holy Mass with Pope Francis.

Flanked by his deputy, John Rosso, the Prime Minister, a Seventh Day Adventist, including other members of the parliament sat through the three hour service.

Before departing for Vanimo, the Pontiff met with Marape and his wife.

Marape personally acknowledged Pope Francis on his delivery of messages of service, unity and peace to the people of Papua New Guinea.

“This is a great message our people need in our land of so much diversity. Our country is very ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse, and the Pontiff’s message of unity, love and care, is very relevant to us today. It must be amplified throughout our country.

“Our different Christian churches may read the Bible from different perspectives, but the fundamental tenet of Christianity is the embrace of each other in love, forgiveness, respect and humble service of each other.

“This weekend was quiet and peaceful. It is exemplary of the goodness that can come from our people. It reflects the soul and innermost character of Papua New Guineans.

“We are good people, capable of embracing each other in love, unity and peace.

Marape called on Papua New Guineans to carry the Pope’s message to heart as the country approaches its 49th Independence Anniversary.

“As we approach our 49th Independence anniversary in a week’s time, I appeal to our people to take Pope Francis’ message with us – to continue to respect each other, to respect our country, and respect our God.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the Pope on his decision to continue his visit to Vanimo considering his advanced age, adding that this is reflective of the character of Christ in serving others.

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Pope Francis emphasizes equal sharing of resources

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Pope Francis emphasize equal sharing of resources

Papua New Guinea is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, a proclamation even Pope Francis acknowledges.

But Papua New Guinea is also challenged with socio-economic developments that do not reach the rural majority despite the presence of numerous extractive industries.

The Pontiff in his remarks this morning at the APEC Haus said Papua New Guinea besides consisting of islands and languages, is also rich in natural resources.

“These goods are destined by God for the entire community.

“Even if outside experts and large international companies must be involved in the harnessing of these resources, it is only right that the needs of local people are given due consideration when distributing the proceeds and employing workers, to improve their living conditions.

“These environmental and cultural treasures represent at the same time a great responsibility, because they require everyone, civil authorities and all citizens, to promote initiatives that develop natural and human resources in a sustainable and equitable manner,” said Pope Francis.

Governor General, Sir Bob Dadae in acknowledging the work of the Catholic Church in the country also requested the Pope in his capacity as a world leader to help advocate on Climate Change and its impacts that is felt by small island nations like PNG.

“Climate change is real and is affecting the lives of our people in the remote Islands of Papua New Guinea.

“Across the Pacific, islands are sinking and are affected and displaced.

“We seek your prayers and support for global action and advocacy on climate change, we need to let the world know that there is no more time.

“What the world needs is commitment for action,” Sir Bob said.

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Pope Francis calls to end ethnic violence

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Pope Francis at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

In his address to Papua New Guinea this morning, the Sovereign Head of the Vatican and the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis called for an end to ethnic violence in Papua New Guinea.

Pope Francis arrived in Papua New Guinea a month after the brutal killings in East Sepik Province where men, women and children were mercilessly killed.

This happened at the backdrop of continued tribal conflicts in parts of the Highlands Region where in February an ambush resulted in mass killings in Enga Province. Isolated incidents of ethnic clashes in cities and towns.

Highlighting these issues that continues to plague rural Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis called for individuals and groups to take responsibility in stopping the spread of violence.

“It is my hope that tribal violence will come to an end, for it causes many victims, prevents people from living in peace and hinders development.

“I appeal, therefore, to everyone’s sense of responsibility to stop the spiral of violence and instead resolutely embark on the path that leads to fruitful cooperation for the benefit of all the people of the country,” Pope Francis said.

The Pope went on to challenge the Catholic faithful to follow the Gospel of Jesus, and preach the good news of peace hope and love.

“For all those who profess to be Christians – the vast majority of your people – I fervently hope that faith will never be reduced just to the observance of rituals and precepts.

“May it be marked instead by love of Jesus Christ and following him as a disciple.

“In this way, faith can become a lived culture, inspiring minds and actions and becoming a beacon of light that illuminates the path forward.

“At the same time, faith can also help society to grow and find good and effective solutions to its greatest challenges,” Pope Francis said.

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