On Sunday, Pope Francis honored the Catholic Church of the peripheries during a special Mass in Papua New Guinea, marking a significant moment in his tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. The Mass, held in Port Moresby’s stadium, was attended by approximately 35,000 people. The ceremony began with traditional dancers in grass skirts and feathered headdresses performing to drum beats as priests in green vestments made their way to the altar.
In his homily, Pope Francis addressed the crowd, emphasizing that although they might feel distant from both their faith and the institutional church, God remains close. “You who live on this large island in the Pacific Ocean may sometimes have thought of yourselves as a faraway and distant land, situated at the edge of the world,” Francis said. “Yet … today the Lord wants to draw near to you, to break down distances, to let you know that you are at the center of his heart and that each one of you is important to him.”
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Following the Mass, Pope Francis traveled to Vanimo, a remote town on Papua New Guinea’s northwest coast, to meet with the small Catholic community there. He arrived on an Australian military aircraft carrying one ton of humanitarian aid, including medicine, clothes, and toys for children. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the aid was prepared by Argentine missionary Rev. Alejandro Diaz and transported by cargo plane from the Vatican.
Pope Francis has long advocated for the church’s role in serving communities on the “peripheries,” which he believes are more crucial than the central institutions of the church. This philosophy is reflected in his preference for visiting far-flung communities rather than European capitals.
Vanimo, with a population of about 11,000, is known for its surfing destinations and is located near the border with Indonesia. During his visit, Francis expressed a special connection to the work of Catholic missionaries, inspired by his own early aspirations to serve as a missionary in Japan, which were thwarted by health issues.
The Pope’s visit also highlighted ongoing social issues in Papua New Guinea. He addressed the plight of women who are falsely accused of witchcraft and subsequently ostracized by their families. In remarks to priests, bishops, and nuns, Francis urged them to offer particular care and compassion to those marginalized and wounded by prejudice and superstition. “I think too of the marginalized and wounded, both morally and physically, by prejudice and superstition sometimes to the point of having to risk their lives,” he stated.
Pope Francis’ visit to Papua New Guinea is part of his four-nation tour, which began in Indonesia and will continue to East Timor before concluding in Singapore later in the week.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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