Papua New Guinea’s First Cardinal Meets with Archbishop Bernard Moras
Bengaluru, Dec 07: Papua New Guinea’s first Cardinal and one among the 17 new Cardinals named by Pope Francis this year, His Eminence John Cardinal Ribat called on Archbishop the Most Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese December 7th 12.25pm.
In a tete-e-tete between the Prelates, the 59-year old Cardinal from the congregation of the Missionaries of Sacred Heart (MSC), expressed much appreciation and admiration over the pastoral activities and initiatives of the Archbishop in the Archdiocese.
Monsignor S Jayanathan (Vicar General) who welcomed the Cardinal apprised him of the Archbishop’s various pastoral initiatives particularly the launching of two Commissions; Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People and Commission for the differently-abled, both, for the first time in India.
Reiterating the importance of ‘Migrant people’ the papal Prelate shared in the presence of priest-officials present in the Archbishops Curia, how, though there were fewer migrants in his region yet pastoral initiatives are seriously taken to address their needs.
In a brief tour of Paalana Bhavan (the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre) Cardinal John Ribat was informed by Archbishop Moras of the various commissions existing in the Archdiocese and the flow of activities at Paalana Bhavan. The Cardinal was pleased to know that the Archdiocesan Commission for Migrants, among many activities, also organizes the Holy Mass in African dialects for nationals from Africa.
At the ‘Asha Trust’ Office, after a briefing of the yeomen service ‘Asha’ is rendering in providing educational assistance to poor year after year, the Cardinal commended Archbishop Moras for his excellent initiative in reaching education to the poor.
The delegation that accompanied the Cardinal included Fr. Victor Roche, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Fr. Rozario Menezes , Delegate Superior, Monfort Congregation and President the Federation of Religious, PNG and Fr Michael Sagayaraj Monfort Congregation Provincial. The Papal Prelate’s courtesy visit ended with lunch at the Archbishops House.
John Cardinal Ribat was created Cardinal on 19th November 2016. In the same year, earlier, he was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He was serving as the President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops of Oceania (the southwestern Pacific encompasses the eastern half of New Guinea and its offshore islands).
Earlier on 30th October 2000, at 43, he was appointed Auxillary Bishop of Bereina, PNG. In 2007 he was made coadjutor bishop of Port Moresby and in 2008 and became Archbishop on the retirement of Archbishop Brian Barnes in 2008.
The Archdiocese of Port Moresby (as in 2014) has a Catholic population of 205,354, which is 32.6% of the total population. There were 19 parishes, 65 priests (7 diocesan, 58 religious), 324 lay religious (223 brothers, 101 sisters), 2 seminarians.
