PNG 'Repentance Day' a bolt from the blue
By PNG Correspondent Liam Fox
August 26, 2011 12:13:14
Photo: Pray for forgiveness: A church in Papua New Guinea
AAP: Ilya Gridneff, file photo
Many Papua New Guinea residents are scratching their heads today as they mark the country's newest public holiday - Repentance Day - just 11 days after it was first announced.
Ceremonies will be held across the largely Christian country so people can ask forgiveness for their sins.
But, like a religious vision, the announcement came out of the blue.
Less than two weeks ago a government press release declared August 26 to be the National Day of Repentance, to be marked with a public holiday.
The statement was two sentences long with no explanation of the purpose or significance of this new public holiday.
Pastor Jack Edward from the Shema Evangelism Ministry is the Repentance Day co-ordinator, and he says what used to be an annual, informal day of prayer is now a public holiday.
"Basically a time when we ask the people of our nation to come together and pray and ask the Lord to forgive us for the wrongs that are happening in our nation," he said.
"So everybody can find time to go to a church and pray, or if they [are not] able to, then stay back in their house and also pray for the country."
Mr Edward said then-acting prime minister Sam Abal responded to a request from a group of churches for the state-sanctioned day off.
Full Story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-26/png-marks-repentance-day/2856522
