The logo has 3 elements:

1) The cross, which helps us to recall that the Holy Father comes to visit PNG not in his own name, but in the name of Jesus, whom the Pope represents on earth as his Vicar. The cross reminds us of the only sacrifice that opens the gates of heaven and obtains salvation, and for this reason since the very beginning of the Church, it became the source of glory for Catholics: «But far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ» (Gal 6:14). The cross’ colors are a resemblance of the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that this country offers, from east to west, every day, a Christian nation giving praise to God «from the rising of the sun to its setting» (Ps 50:1).

2) The bird of paradise represents Papua New Guinea, because this species can be found only in Papua New Guinea and Eastern Australia. Its abundant plumage and the shape of its body is immediately associated with PNG culture, as to the point that the bird of paradise is also present in the very flag of PNG. In its breast it has the three colors of PNG’s flag: red, black and yellow.

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3) PRAY (“Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1)
This phrase of the disciples addressed to Jesus gave rise to the most perfect and beautiful prayer that has ever been heard: the Lord’s Prayer. It is the most perfect prayer, because it was taught to us by Jesus himself, the true God, “and all his works are perfect.” (Dt 32:4) St Thomas teaches us: “The Lord's Prayer is most perfect, because, as Augustine says, ‘if we pray rightly and fittingly, we can say nothing else but what is contained in this prayer of our Lord.’ ” (Summa Theologica, II-II, 83,9) And it is also the most beautiful prayer, because this prayer gives rise to the central revelation of the Gospels: God is Father. Jesus came to teach us, among other things, that God is not a distant being who has ignored the world once it was created. But, on the contrary, He is constantly close to us, and He wanted to reveal Himself as a Father. And in fact, in Baptism, he adopted us as his children.

We believe and affirm that the Pope is not only Successor of Peter, but also Vicar of Christ. “The sweet Christ on earth,” as St. Therese of the Child Jesus liked to call him. To him, then, our “sweet Christ on earth,” we also want to ask “teach us to pray.”