by Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich
Pope Francis continued his 45th Apostolic Journey abroad this week, visiting Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.
On Sept. 6, he arrived in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, a sparsely populated nation that is home to nearly 2.5 million Catholics and some of the last isolated tribes in the world.
On Sept. 7, his first full day in Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis met with Gov. Gen. Sir Bob Dadae as well as authorities, members of civil society, and the diplomatic corps. He remarked on the country’s “extraordinary cultural richness,” and expressed that the nation’s vast natural resources “are destined by God for the entire community.” He also appealed for an end to tribal violence, and noted that “a people that prays has a future,” a reference to the one-word motto of his visit: “Pray.”
That afternoon, Pope Francis met with approximately 800 children under the care of the Street Ministry, which provides care and education for impoverished children, and Callan Services, which provides services for children and adults with disabilities. He then addressed the Bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, priests, deacons, religious, seminarians, and catechists, whom he encouraged to continue to “evangelize patiently” and bring Jesus Christ to “the peripheries of this country.”
On Sept. 8, Pope Francis met with Prime Minister James Marade before celebrating Mass in the Sir John Guise Stadium with 35,000 people. The Holy Father’s homily emphasized the nearness of Jesus Christ to each person. He said to the people of Papua New Guinea, “And you, brothers and sisters … being in the Pacific, perhaps you feel that you are separated, separated from the Lord, separated from others, but that’s not right: you are united, united in the Holy Spirit, united in the Lord.”
As a testament to the closeness of the Holy Father to the global church, Pope Francis then traveled to Vanimo, one of the most remote areas of Papua New Guinea where there is no running water and little electricity. He met with missionaries and local Catholics (some of whom had walked for days across jungles, rivers, and mountains to be in his presence), where he remarked on the magnificent beauty of the country but said the “greatest treasure” was the love in the people’s hearts.
On Sept. 9, Pope Francis addressed the youth in Port Moresby before departing for Timor-Leste, a nation he said is “at the ends of the earth” but “at the center of the Gospel.” With 97 percent of the population being Catholic, Pope Francis received a joyous welcome.
Upon his arrival in the nation’s capital, Dili, Pope Francis visited with President José Ramos-Horta and addressed government authorities, members of civil society, and the diplomatic corps in the Presidential Palace Hall.
As Pope Francis is the first pontiff to visit Timor-Leste since its independence from Indonesia in 2002 (John Paul II visited the country in 1989), he gave thanks to God for the “dawn of peace and freedom” in the country and extolled the people’s “assiduous efforts to achieve full reconciliation with [their] brothers and sisters in Indonesia.”
On Sept. 10, the Holy Father commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Irmãs Alma school, which serves students with disabilities, and he met with 50 children and 28 sisters who care for them.
Pope Francis then visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where he addressed bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and catechists. He called on the thousands of faithful present to “bring the joy of the Gospel to all” so as to “counter anything that humiliates, disfigures or even destroys human life; and to counter those plagues that cause inner emptiness and suffering such as alcoholism, violence, and disrespect for the dignity of women.”
That evening, following a meeting with fellow Jesuits, Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Esplanade of Taci Tolu. An estimated 600,000 people attended, nearly half of the population of Timor-Leste, marking the largest turnout for a papal event in proportion to the population.
On Sept. 11, his final day in Timor-Leste, Pope Francis addressed the young people of the nation (70 percent of the population is under 30 years old). The Holy Father spoke of the meaning of freedom, the “importance of taking care of our common home,” and the “value of fraternity.” Following his address and a farewell ceremony, Pope Francis departed Timor-Leste for Singapore, the fourth and final leg of his 45th Apostolic Journey.
On Sept. 12, his first full day in Singapore, Pope Francis met with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong before addressing authorities, members of civil society, and the diplomatic corps.
Singapore, with a Catholic population of 3.5 percent (around 176,000 people), plays a unique role as “a commercial crossroads of primary importance and a place where different people meet,” Pope Francis said in his address. He also commended the nation’s commitment to environmental sustainability and pointed to Singapore as an example of how small nations can have an impact on addressing environmental challenges.
That evening, Pope Francis celebrated Mass with nearly 50,000 people at the Singapore Sports Hub National Stadium. The Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Chow of Hong Kong and Cardinal Bo of Yangon, as well as bishops from Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong.
On Sept. 13, Pope Francis’s final day in Singapore, he visited a group of elderly and infirm individuals and addressed an interreligious meeting with young people before departing for Rome.
Pope Francis’s 45th Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania was marked by a deep commitment to dialogue, fraternity, compassion, and environmental stewardship – all of which resonate with the core messages of his papacy.
For more commentary from Callista Gingrich, visit Gingrich360.com.
