Penang hosts 5th JPC Workshop

PENANG – Seven priests and 12 lay people attended the fifth Justice and Peace Workshop hosted by Penang Diocese on 20-23 Feb 2017.

The participants came from the arch/dioceses of Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Penang and the Brunei Vicariate.

The workshop focused on the Holy Father’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, on caring for the earth.

The encyclical reflects Pope Francis’ concern ‘to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development for our common home.’

Clare Westwood, who facilitated for the workshop, has extensive experience working in the area of food, agriculture, food sovereignty, bio-safety and climate change. She walked the group through various topics such as State of the World and the Global Climate Emergency, Resilience and Creation Justice and “Key Calls of Laudato Si.  She also guided the group on how to respond strategically to the calls.

Bishop Joseph Hii of Sibu, as JPC president,  said he was very happy with the outcome of the workshop. The commission’s vision has always focused on “communion with creation” and he could see that this workshop has given the dioceses a clearer direction towards the care of Mother Earth and how to advance creation justice.

JPC thanked Penang Diocese, especially Bishop Sebastian Francis and Father Andrew Stephen for hosting the workshop. – Stephanie Cheong