Vatican envoy asks Papua Catholics to preserve Sentani Festival

Antara News, Monday, June 14, 2010 16:03 WIB

Sentani, Papua (ANTARA News)- Vatican Ambassador to Indonesia Mgr Leopoldo Girellin called on the Catholic community in Papua to preserve the traditional Lake Sentani Festival (FDS).

"All positive things that we go about in faith will be of great advantage to all people," Girellin said at a gathering with local government officials, religious and community figures from Jayapura and Keerom districts at the Dapur Papua restaurant here on Monday.

The Vatican envoy said traditional arts and culture anywhere should be preserved and upheld for the welfare of all people.

In his three-day pastoral visit to the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua, Girellin called on the local religious and community figures to continue maintaining religious harmony, tolerance, and peace in Papua.

He also called on the entire Catholic community in the province to support the local government in preserving the local traditional arts and culture, especially the Lake Sentani Festival.

The Vatican envoy on Sunday afternoon was greeted with a typical Papua traditional dance when he arrived at the Lake Sentani Festival arena at Kalkote village in Sentani.

On the occasion, he planted a number of trees at the lake side and then made a boat trip around the lake to enjoy the surrounding natural beauty found nowhere else in the world.

After visiting Jayapura , the Holy See`s envoy would also visit the Merauke archdiocese in Merauke district on June 20 before returning to Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Jayapura district head Habel Melkias Suwae said the Vatican envoy came to Papua on a pastoral mission but he also took time to visit the Lake Sentani Festival arena.

Habel said the Vatican envoy was keenly interested in the Lake Sentani Festival themed "Loving Culture for Our Future" because he acknowledged that by loving and preserving their traditional and cultural values , people were also doing something good for their future and the next generation.