The Pope of the peripheries arrives in Papua New Guinea

By Linda Bordoni – Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea is 19,047 kilometres away from the Vatican. That’s the furthest Pope Francis has ever travelled to be with his flock, showing it how much it matters, how much he cares.

He will be spending three days in this large but sparsely inhabited nation of thundering rivers and waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, spouting volcanoes, thick forests and beautiful sea.

The country, which is home to some of the world’s last uncontacted tribes, is placed right on one of the planet’s tectonic plates, and earthquakes and landslides are almost commonplace, while the lack of infrastructure in the more remote areas can pose serious challenges to rescuers and medics if disaster strikes, and even to simple travellers exploring the nation.

But Pope Francis is undeterred by challenges and determined to share the faith in person with the some 2.5 million Catholics who inhabit the country, including those in the remote town of Vanimo on the northwest coast, where a group of mostly Argentinean missionaries share his mission never to exclude what he calls the “geographical and existential peripheries” of our world.

Because of its geographical location in the east Pacific Ocean, like its neighbours across the region, PNG is increasingly threatened by the tangible effects of climate change.

As it strives to adopt a model of sustainable development and protect its fragile ecosystems and peoples, Pope Francis’ call to heed the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth is bound to resonate with force.

So, pastoral ministry, care for creation, and the appeal to respect and safeguard indigenous wisdom and culture will almost certainly come under the spotlight during the Pope’s three-day presence in the nation.

But Francis is also a Pope of surprises, and who knows what other issues he may choose to highlight, both as head of the Universal Church and as the undisputed moral authority of our times. For sure, his will be a message of hope and encouragement for the Church, for humanity, and for the people of Papua New Guinea.