Christianity will now be reflected in the Fifth Goal of the Constitution, and the Bible will be recognised as a national symbol. Photo: RNZ Pacific
Papua New Guinea being declared a Christian nation may offer the impression that the country will improve, but it is only "an illusion", according to a Catholic priest in the country.
Last week, the PNG parliament amended the nation's constitution, introducing a declaration in its preamble: "(We) acknowledge and declare God, the Father; Jesus Christ, the Son; and Holy Spirit, as our Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and the source of our powers and authorities, delegated to the people and all persons within the geographical jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea."
In addition, Christianity will now be reflected in the Fifth Goal of the Constitution, and the Bible will be recognised as a national symbol.
Father Giorgio Licini of Caritas PNG said that the Catholic Church would have preferred no constitutional change.
"To create, nowadays, in the 21st century a Christian confessional state seems a little bit anachronistic," Licini said.
He believes it is a "cosmetic" change that "will not have a real impact" on the lives of the people.
"PNG society will remain basically what it is," he said.
"This manoeuvre may offer the impression or the illusion that things will improve for the country, that the way of behaving, the economic situation, the culture may become more solid. But that is an illusion."
He said the preamble of the 1975 Constitution already acknowledged the Christian heritage.
Licini said secular cultures and values are scaring many in PNG, including the recognition and increasing acceptance of the rainbow community.
"They see themselves as next to Indonesia, which is Muslim, they see themselves next to Australia and New Zealand, which are increasingly secular countries, the Pacific heritage is fading, so the question is, who are we?
"It looks like a Christian heritage and tradition and values and the churches, they offer an opportunity to ground on them a cultural identity."
Village market near christian church building, Papua New Guinea Photo: 123RF
Prime Minister James Marape, a vocal advocate for the amendment, is happy about the outcome.
He said it "reflects, in the highest form" the role Christian churches have played in the development of the country.
RNZ Pacific's PNG correspondent Scott Waide said taht Marape has maintained it is not an operational law.
"It is something that is rather symbolic and something that will hopefully unite Papua New Guinea under a common goal of sorts. That's been the narrative that's come out from the Prime Minister's Office," Waide said.
He said the vast majority of people in the country have identified as Christian, but it was not written into the constitution.
Waide said the founding fathers were aware of the negative implications of declaring the nation a Christian state during the decolonisation period.
"I think in their wisdom they chose to very carefully state that Papua New Guineans are spiritual people but stopped short of actually declaring Papua New Guinea a Christian country."
He said that, unlike Fiji, which has had a 200-year experience with different religions, the first mosque in PNG opened in the 1980s.
"It is not as diverse as you would see in other countries. Personally, I have seen instances of religious violence largely based on ignorance.
"Not because they are politically driven, but because people are not educated enough to understand the differences in religions and the need to coexist."
