Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea beginning of September. The faithful are preparing to welcome him as he visits them on his 45th Apostolic Journey abroad.
Papua New Guinea is a nation of considerable cultural diversity, comprised of hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to the island with over 800 Indigenous languages spoken in the country.
Nearly all Papua New Guinea citizens are Christians, and 26 per cent of the population is Catholic.
Pope Francis will be the second Pope to visit Papua New Guinea after Pope John Paul II.
The Pope will visit the city of Port Moresby and the town of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea from September 6–9.
According to Fr. Mario Abzalón Alvarado Tovar, Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC),” who offered this assessment in an interview with Vatican News ahead of the Apostolic Journey. "Pope Francis will find a Church with a strong practice of faith, but in the style of Papua New Guinea, of the islands of New Guinea, of the mainland, of the highlands, and of the coastal areas.”
In this context, the Pontiff will land in the evening of the sixth of September and be welcomed as a state leader but more so as a Church leader to Catholics in this land. The colourful headdresses of the Mekeo people of the Central Province will have the honour of giving the Pontiff in the style of PNG a welcome fit for an important guest.
Ordinary people will line up the streets to get a glimpse of a once in a lifetime experience of a leader they heard of on televisions or read about in news. But for Catholics, the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, and the successor of St Peter who was head of the apostles. He is their Shepherd.
Catherine Loftus, the Program Coordinator at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion in the US wrote this of Pope Francis in 2014. He is transforming the Papal Office; ‘from refusing to live in extravagant quarters to choosing modest vestments and cutting bonuses in the Vatican, Pope Francis is the epitome of a humble servant. He is dedicated to the poor and marginalized and is showing the world that the Catholic Church can talk the talk and walk the walk. He is encouraging service and sacrifice not by telling, but by doing. This is a powerful message for young people, and one that is inspiring service around the world.
Pope Francis said of himself: “The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps well and has friends like everyone else; a normal person.” It is this humble attitude and the normalcy that he brings to the papal office that has captivated audiences, both young and old. He has spoken time and time again about how he is a regular guy and enjoys things like World Cup soccer and motorcycles. He does not view himself as living above the people he serves, but as one who walks with all of us in our journey to follow Christ. I believe this is the most important part of Pope Francis’ ministry. He is out working with people, talking to people, and adapting his role as a world leader and religious leader to communicate with and relate to ordinary people, especially young people, in hopes to bring the world closer to Christ.
It is this Pope Francis that Papua New Guinea will welcome to its shores from Port Moresby to Vanimo, it will be a local experience of a man who is like us but chosen to lead the Church entrusted to him by Christ himself.
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