The Catholic Church of Fiji wants to be more responsive to the needs of its parishioners in 2016.

Leading up to the New Year, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong says the church must be mindful of what people go through in their day to day lives.

“Our hope is that we will build a more relevant church that empowers the lay people, a church that can respond effectively to the social challenges that face people in Fiji.”

Archbishop Chong says the Catholic Church has always had a goal to be in a position to help followers of the faith cope with their problems.

Some of the issues he expects to focus on include poverty, unemployment and climate change.