In a remarkable journey to the farthest reaches of the globe, Pope Francis embarked on a mission to the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea this past Sunday.
His visit was not only a celebration of the Catholic Church's presence in the peripheries but also a gesture of love and support for the local populace. The Pope's cargo included a ton of medicine, musical instruments, and a message of unity and compassion for the people residing in this distant corner of the world.
As reported by ABC News, the Pope's journey began aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-130 transport plane, which transported him from Port Moresby to Vanimo, located on the northwest coast of the South Pacific nation. Upon arrival, he was warmly received by the local Catholic community and Argentine missionaries who have been diligently serving the people of this region.
This voyage holds a special significance for Pope Francis, who expressed astonishment in 2013 at being chosen to lead the church from the "end of the Earth." This trip to Vanimo, another "end of the Earth," marks the longest and farthest journey of his pontificate. His previous travels have taken him to the edge of the Arctic, the Peruvian Amazon, and the plains of Ur, Iraq, but this trip to Vanimo stands out even among these extraordinary journeys.
Upon his arrival, an estimated crowd of 20,000 people greeted the Pope with songs and dances in the field in front of the Vanimo cathedral. Embracing the local culture, Pope Francis donned a feathered headdress presented to him. From a raised stage, he commended the church workers' efforts to spread the faith and urged the residents of Vanimo to foster unity and harmony within their community, likening it to an orchestra.
In his address, the Pope emphasized the need to "drive out fear, superstition and magic from peoples hearts, to put an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse, evils which imprison and take away the happiness of so many of our brothers and sisters. This statement was a clear reference to the tribal disputes over land and other issues that have long been part of the country's culture but have become increasingly lethal in recent years. The Pope's visit to Papua New Guinea was aimed at encouraging an end to this violence, including gender-based violence, and promoting a sense of civic responsibility.
Earlier in the day, Pope Francis had conducted a Mass for an estimated 35,000 people at the stadium in the capital, Port Moresby. In his homily, he reassured the crowd that despite their perceived distance from their faith and the institutional church, God was close to them. He stated, You who live on this large island in the Pacific Ocean may sometimes have thought of yourselves as a far away and distant land, situated at the edge of the world. 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.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pope in history, has always shown a particular affinity for the work of Catholic missionaries. As a young Argentine Jesuit, he had aspired to serve as a missionary in Japan, but his poor health prevented him from doing so. Now, as Pope, he often holds up missionaries as models for the church.
The Rev. Martin Prado, an Argentine missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word religious order, played a crucial role in bringing the Pope to Vanimo. He shared the "crazy" story of how he and a group of Vanimo parishioners managed to secure an audience with the Pope during a visit to Rome in 2019. Prado's efforts and the Pope's subsequent visit highlight the Pope's commitment to reaching out to people in remote regions, demonstrating that his words of love and compassion are backed by action.
In addition to his message of unity and compassion, Pope Francis brought with him a cargo of about a ton of medicine, clothing, musical instruments, and toys. He is also helping to build a new secondary school to address the lack of educational opportunities for the children of the diocese.
The Pope's visit to Vanimo was the highlight of his visit to Papua New Guinea, the second leg of his four-nation tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. After first stopping in Indonesia, Francis heads on Monday to East Timor and then wraps up his visit in Singapore later in the week. This journey underscores the Pope's commitment to reaching out to the "peripheries" where people need God most, a philosophy that has been a guiding principle of his pontificate.
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