THE head of the Church in Fiji says the recent catastrophic earthquakes that devastated parts of Indonesia and Solomon Islands should be a wake-up call for leaders within and beyond the Oceania region.
Archbishop Peter Loy Chong offered prayers last week for all affected across the region. He opens a three-day online dialogue this week about the future of “Our Ocean Home”
“I remain deeply concerned about the worsening realities for people to recover from natural disasters in our region and I am praying for those who have been severely injured as a result of the destructive earthquakes, particularly the souls of the departed and their families,” Archbishop Chong said.
As president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania, Archbishop Chong will be hosting his fellow bishops of the Oceania region for their General Assembly in Suva in February 2023.
Archbishop Chong said he hopes that by listening to the diverse experts selected from Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, the dialogue at this week’s event could generate insights and recommendations from the peripheries for the assembly to consider in February 2023.
With Suva as the location for the assembly, it is the first time in 16 years that the Pacific Island nation will have the opportunity to host a group of expert voices and promote marginalised voices from Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia on the topic of “Our Ocean Home”.
To register for the free, online event email oceania@acu.edu.au.
