While the tiny peninsula of Vanimo, in the extreme northwest of Papua New Guinea, is so beautiful that it brings to mind the Garden of Eden, still the people there "are the most beautiful image that those who leave here can take with them and keep in their hearts!" Pope Francis said.
The Pope had this message of praise for the crowd gathered in Vanimo's main cathedral square on September 8, 2024. During his stopover of just a few hours, he encouraged this small Catholic community living in lush natural surroundings “to embellish this happy land ever more with [their] loving presence as Church.”
The trip to Vanimo is the only domestic trip of his long tour of Asia and Oceania. The Pope was taken to the remote town via an Australian military plane from the capital Port Moresby.
The choice of this destination comes after a small group of diocesan pilgrims came to Rome in 2019, guided by Father Martin Prado, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. This delegation was welcomed by the Pontiff, who has since kept in touch with this community. Read the story below.
Plant peace
On the large esplanade in front of St. Croix Cathedral, the pontiff was greeted by some 20,000 faithful, who gave him a triumphant welcome. The small town has a population of just 12,000, but Catholics from all over the region and neighboring areas, including West Papua (Indonesia), made the trip to see the Pope, some walking for three days through the jungle to reach Vanimo.
The local bishop, Francis Meli, thanked the Pope warmly on his arrival. He praised the “symbol of peace” that his visit represents for the whole community of his diocese, which suffers from conflict, witchcraft-related crimes, and domestic violence , as well as from great poverty.
The Pontiff listened to a catechist who told him about the difficult mission of bringing the Gospel to the region, given the small number of catechists - there are only 15 in the diocese - and the meager income he has to support his family. At the end of his speech, the catechist presented the Pope with a tribal headdress with long yellow feathers, provoking jubilation from the crowd.
Pope Francis encouraged Catholics in this society heavily marked by tribalism to “overcome divisions - personal, family or tribal; [to] drive fear, superstition, and [belief in] magic out of people's hearts.”
He also called for “an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse.”
Beauty experts
After recalling the heritage of the missionaries who have been present in this remote space since the 19th century, the head of the Catholic Church hailed them as “experts in beauty.”
“You live in a magnificent land, […] you can't help but be amazed by the colors, the sounds, the fragrances, the grandiose spectacle of nature overflowing with life, evoking the image of Eden."
But the greatest treasure of Papua New Guinea, insisted Francis in his speech, is not “the variety of its flora and fauna, […] its enchanting beaches and crystal-clear sea,” but “the good people you meet there.”
“You are the most beautiful image that those who leave here can take with them,” he told the children in particular, mentioning their "contagious smiles" and "radiant joy."
Pope Francis presented the diocese with a golden rose, which he placed before a representation of his own beloved homeland Virgin of Lujan, venerated in Argentina. The Institute of the Divine Word, which is providing missionaries to the region, was founded in the Pope's homeland.
The Holy Father rode in a popemobile through the crowd of faithful, many of whom knelt as he passed.
The Pope then made a private visit to the missionary community before returning to Port Moresby.
