What we need now is a new way of being Catholic, says Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.

The Head of the Catholic Church in Fiji and Rotuma made the comment in an interview after being the key­note speaker at the Reweaving the Ecological Mat (REM) Conference. This is hosted by the Pacific Theo­logical College’s Institute of Mission and Research and held at the Tanoa Skylodge Hotel in Nadi yesterday.

Archbishop Loy Chong said the new way of being Catholic was the need to talk about their faith and include other religions who converse with God.

“We need a new Catholicity that means a new way to be Catholic, to be a Christian in an inclusive manner,” Archbishop Loy Chong said.

“Catholic means universal and what we need now is a new way of be­ing Catholic – being universal, being inclusive in our faith where we can speak, where we can bring creation and other religions into the conver­sation about God.”

Archbishop Loy Chong also elabo­rated on how faith had a public char­acter in every society.

“Faith has a public character be­cause faith deals with divine truth, but truths are revealed and experi­enced in human history and truth that come from experience and that come from God,” he said.

“All religions have a claim to this truth, a universal truth now this is important in an age where truth has become relative as Pope Benedict says, we are facing a culture of rela­tivism where truth is relative, mean­ing that truth is up to you.

“Faith traditions hold that some truths are universal, are divine. For example, love and justice, there is no lie about that.”

He added there were many different ways for Catholic families to instill in their children the teachings of the Catholic faith.

The conference, which is attended by Church leaders from around the Pacific, concludes tomorrow.

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

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