Archbishop Douglas Young SVD of Papua New Guinea calls for transformation

In Papua New Guinea, Archbishop Douglas Young has drawn attention to the “scars on the body of the nation” in his annual Easter message.

The focus of the Archbishop’s words comes on the fortieth anniversary of the nation’s independence.  He brought attention to “ a justice system which appears to be failing the poor, all kinds of unnecessary suffering as a result of an ailing heath system, poor roads, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and crimes at all levels of society. We can even see the current crisis with Tuberculosis as part of Jesus’ own struggles to breathe … sadly, there are also people in our society who have lost the traditional respect for life and feel that they have a right to strip and torture others, especially the weak and defenceless, in order to obtain ‘confessions’ of sanguma [sorcery].”

In a nation where an accusation of sorcery can lead to mob violence and extra-judicial murders, the Archbishop reminded his flock that “.. at a time when we are all appalled at the unjust death sentence imposed on Jesus, we are still debating whether we have the right to kill our own citizens in the name of justice, arguing along with Caiaphas that it is better that some die to keep the nation safe.”

Archbishop Young closed by recalling the joy and hope of the resurrection and praying that this joy and hope “transform our actions away from selfishness, corruption, violence of all kinds, and the exclusion of the people we don't like … and become the source of a renewed journey of discipleship …forming a better nation.”

 

The full text of the Easter Message from Archbishop Douglas Young SVD can be found below.

 

The Passion of Papua New Guinea

Easter Message 2015

By Archbishop Douglas Young

Mount Hagen

 

This Easter, occurring as we prepare for the fortieth anniversary of our Independence, I have been thinking not only of the passage of Jesus’ body from suffering, pain and death to a glorified body, but also of the passage of his soul, from rejection, betrayal, mockery and abandonment to a “glorified soul”.

We are familiar with the physical sufferings of Jesus: his torture through beatings by soldiers in the miscarriage of justice called his “trial”, his scourging, his crowning with thorns, his carrying of the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, his falls, his humiliating public stripping, his being nailed to the cross, his struggles to breathe, and eventually his death, followed by further damage to his body by a spear being thrust in his side. It should not be too difficult for us to relate our own aches and pains, as well as our own life threatening injuries and illnesses to some aspects of the physical passion of Jesus. There is hardly anything that can happen to our body that is not reflected in some way in the suffering of Christ.

We can see similar scars on the body of the nation itself: a justice system which appears to be failing the poor, all kinds of unnecessary suffering as a result of an ailing heath system, poor roads, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and crimes at all levels of society. We can even see the current crisis with TB as part of Jesus’ own struggles to breathe as he loses the strength needed to push himself upwards. Sadly, there are also people in our society who have lost the traditional respect for life and feel that they have a right to strip and torture others, especially the weak and defenseless, in order to obtain “confessions” of sanguma. I am struck by the close parallels of what was done to Jesus and what is still done today to those accused of sorcery. That should be enough evidence of who is really behind these allegations!

And at a time when we are all appalled at the unjust death sentence imposed on Jesus, we are still debating whether we have the right to kill our own citizens in the name of justice, arguing along with Caiaphas that it is better that some die to keep the nation safe

At Easter all of Jesus’ physical suffering is vindicated. It is glorified. The physical scars of Jesus remain after the resurrection. But they are now glorified. They now find their true meaning and in some ways are taken into the divine. This will happen to all of us and our nation also. Whatever the physical suffering we endure in this life will find its ultimate meaning when we rise with Christ.

But Jesus also suffered greatly in his soul, and possibly this suffering was even greater than the physical. He was rejected by the leaders and teachers of the people, those very people that he had advised his followers to obey but not to imitate. He was betrayed by someone in his own inner circle, someone he trusted completely, even to the extent of entrusting him with the finances of the community. He was then abandoned by his closest friends who were not there for him when he needed them. Even the one to whom he had entrusted the leadership of his followers denied ever knowing him. Then he was mocked by soldiers and the crowd, making a fool of him. Ultimately he felt abandoned, not only by his disciples but even by his Father.

This “soul-suffering” also found its meaning and purpose in the resurrection. His own rejection became the means of his including all people everywhere in the infinite mercy of God. His own betrayal became the magnificent sign of his unconditional love for all us sinners. The mockery he experienced is fulfilled when his name is lifted higher than any other, and his sense of abandonment became the sacrament of his intimate union with his Father and with all creation.

As with the physical glorification we as individuals and as a nation can also look forward to a spiritual glorification. All our sufferings of soul, our loneliness, our hurts, our failures, our own sense of rejection and abandonment, even betrayal by those who we trusted and were close to us, can also find their meaning in the resurrection of Christ. We don’t even have to wait till our physical resurrection for this to happen. In Christ all suffering finds meaning. John’s gospel shows us how everything done to destroy Jesus actually brought about his glory. He was always in control. Everything that seems to be dragging us down is actually lifting us up if we bring it to Jesus on the cross.

This must be a source of great joy for us as individuals and as a nation. It is the true meaning of Easter. All will be well. We can continue to live in hope and allow our hope to transform our actions away from selfishness, corruption, violence of all kinds, and the exclusion of the people we don't like. No suffering is too great for the healing hand of Christ to transform it into something beautiful, wonderful, and life-giving. If only we have the faith.

We have the choice to go with this tide of Christ’s victory and participate already in God’s plan for our fulfillment, or waste our time and energy in fighting against it. I can assure you that peace and blessings follow from the decision to give your life and sufferings to Christ and then live a life in harmony with his plan.

In this spirit I wish all the people of the Archdiocese and all the people of Papua New Guinea a truly happy and holy Easter. I pray that all our individual and social ills may be transformed by Christ in his Easter glory and become the source of a renewed journey of discipleship with him. Let us become better people forming a better nation.

 

Happy Easter!