(ANS - Rome)- On 23 December, the General Council approved the establishment of the new Vice-Province of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (PGS) dedicated to Blessed Philip Rinaldi.

This recognition was long-awaited by the Region of East Asia–Oceania.  It brings the number of jurisdictions to eleven, eight Provinces and three Vice-Provinces.

Indonesia–East Timor was erected as a Vice-Province in 1998 and the Vice Province of Myanmar was created in 2004.

During the recent visit in May 2015 of the Rector Major to the Delegation of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, it became clear that, after 35 years of Salesian presence, the time was ripe for the erection of a Vice-Province.

On 11 June last, the Rector Major and his Council approved the programme for the erection of the Vice-Province: Report by the Delegate for the PNG-SI Delegation on the state of the Delegation (September), canonical visitation of the FIN Province (October), the request of the FIN Province for the erection of the Vice-Province (November), the consultation of the members of the PNG-SI Delegation (December) and, finally, the approval of the erection of the new Vice-Province by the Rector Major and his Council (C156)

The Salesian presence in Papua New Guinea began in 1980 and the PNG delegation was set up in 1994 as part of FIN.

According to the report of the Delegate for PNG-SI (October 2015) there are eight communities (6 in PNG and 2 in SI) and 43 confreres - two bishops, 32 priests, 3 Salesian Brothers, 6 candidates for the priesthood in initial training and one novice. There are 8 other confreres temporarily transferred to the Delegation from other Provinces (1 priest, 1 brother. and six practical trainees). The confreres in the communities are of 16 different nationalities: 13 Filipinos, 11 Vietnamese, 8 Indians, 5 from the PNG – SI delegation, 2 Italians, 2 Spanish, 1 each from Angola, Congo, East Timor, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Sri Lanka and Switzerland.

Published 28/12/2015