THE head of the Catholic Church of Fiji has supported a call by Methodist Church president Reverend Doctor Semisi Turagavou to his ministers to quit excessive yaqona drinking and smoking cigarettes.
Archbishop Peter Loy Chong said excessive yaqona consumption affected church leaders’ performance on spiritual leadership.
“I support Rev Turagavou’s stand that excessive consumption of yaqona can affect church leaders; however, abstinence alone does not guarantee Christian leadership,” the archbishop said.
“Other matters like theological and spiritual formation, contemplation or meditation, physical wellness, ongoing training, theological pedagogy, and ongoing theological and spiritual reading are just as important or even more important.
“A Christian leader must have a passion for charity, justice, and theological reflection.”
The TISI Sangam Fiji’s general secretary, Gyaneshwari Rao, said the organisation didn’t have a policy that deals with excessive yaqona consumption.
Methodist Church senior minister for the Rotuma Division, Reverend Viliame Fatiaki, said such a call was imperative for the good of church members.
“I very much support the call by our president, and that is good because too much grog will affect our work as church leaders in our divisions,” he said.
The Divisional Superintendent of the Indian division, Reverend Lal Mohammed, said he quit drinking yaqona in 2012.
“It was the best decision I made because my decision has brought me this far, and we do our work better with God,” he said.
Rev Sanaila Rakulawai, a lecturer at the Methodist Lay Training Centre, believes it would depend on the situation.
“We still have our culture and programs, and sometimes yaqona is involved, so it really depends on the situation,” he said.
