Pope to PNG Church workers: Be witnesses of courage, beauty and hope

By Christopher Wells

After hearing a priest, a religious sister, a representative at the Synod, and a lay catechist bear witness to the challenges they face in their respective ministries, Pope Francis offered a message of hope, inviting pastoral workers in Papua New Guinea to be courageous in making new beginnings, with the confident hope that their efforts will bear fruit.

He recalled the story of St John Bosco, inspired by the Blessed Virgin to build a church in her honour. “Mary promised him that if he had the courage to begin the construction of the church, great graces would follow.”

That story, he noted, was the inspiration for the location of Saturday’s encounter, the Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians.

It can also be “a symbol for us of three aspects of our missionary journey,” the Pope said, “that were highlighted in the testimonies we just heard: the courage to begin, the beauty of being present, and the hope of growing.”

Ever ready to begin a new

The Holy Father praised the early missionaries, both foreign and indigenous, who brought the faith to Papua New Guinea, and who did not give up even if their first efforts seemed to fail.

“It is thanks to them,” he said, “to their ‘starts’ and ‘restarts,’ that we are here, and that despite the current challenges... we continue to move forward without fear, knowing we are not alone.”

He recommended that in their own ‘beginnings,” they start with those on the peripheries, whether on the margins of urban populations or in the most remote and abandoned areas of the country.

Pope Francis went on to highlight the “beauty of being present,” assuring those present that “we are the most beautiful treasure in the eyes of the Father,” and inviting them demonstrate to all the beauty “of following Jesus together and proclaiming His Gospel.”

He insisted that the beauty of presence is not found so much in large events, “but rather in the faithfulness and love with which we strive to grow together every day.”

The hope of growing

Finally, Pope Francis looked to the Shrine’s “catechesis through images,” in particular the images of the Old Testament patriarchs who were made fruitful through faith.

“This is an important symbol, because it also encourages us today to have confidence in the fruitfulness of our apostolate,” even if they seem to begin small.

“Let us continue, therefore, to evangelize patiently,” the Pope said, without allowing ourselves to be discouraged by difficulties or misunderstandings, even when they arise in places where we especially do not want to encounter them.”

Pope Francis concluded his reflection with an exhortation to all pastoral workers in Papua New Guinea: “Carry on your mission,” he said, “as witnesses of courage, beauty and hope!”