Pope’s visit to Papua New Guinea could help change local patriarchal culture

By Lisa Zengarini and Claudia Torres - Port Moresby

After concluding his intense visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis travels on Friday to Papua New Guinea, the second stop of his 45th Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania. He will stay in the Oceania’s island nation until Monday, 9 September, when he will leave for Timor-Leste.

Sister Daisy Anne Lisania Augustine is the secretary of the Social Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (CBCPNGSI), as well as the media coordinator for the papal visit. 

She spoke to Vatican News’ Claudia Torres about the preparations and her hopes from the visit.

Pope bringing his pastoral closeness to the periphery

The religious sister shared her excitement and confided that she is impressed by the fact that Pope Francis chose Papua New Guinea as one of his four destinations in Asia and Oceania.

She said this once again shows his closeness to the “peripheries” of the world, which he so often speaks about.

"For me, it's very significant,” she said, “because  what he is saying is: 'I'm going where my people are. I want to be there with them.’ He's coming here because he loves me as a Catholic."

According to Sr. Daisy, the Holy Father, who has repeatedly highlighted the need to give fuller recognition to the charisms and vocations of women in the Church, could also leave a positive mark in this respect on the still widely patriarchal Papuan society.

Pope appreciates work of women in the Church

She recalled how struck she was by Pope Francis’ words and friendly attitude towards her during the ad limina visit of the Bishops of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands in May last year.

Noticing that the Bishops had brought with them a religious woman, the Pope invited her to take part in the audience, which is normally reserved only to bishops. “It had never happened before,” Sr Daisy said.

During that audience in the Vatican, she said, the Holy Father jokingly acknowledged her presence, remarking the importance of her role for the Papuan Church. He  remarked that "Ccommunication helps people understand what bishops are here for as shepherds of the Church," Sr. Daisy recalled.

Hopes for a positive impact of the visit on Papuan society

That occasion, she said, “gave me hope that Pope Francis appreciates the work that women do in the Church. He shows total discipleship, total leadership of a servant leader who embraces everyone, even if you're a woman.”

For this reason, she believes the Pope’s visit could also have a positive effect on the way women are considered in Papuan society, where they still don't enjoy equality with men.  

“I feel," she said, “that this visit will bring hope to us, especially to those women who are still oppressed in our society, that the voices of those whose rights are not respected will be heard, because he's coming for every one of us.”