Pope arrives in remote jungles of Papua New Guinea, brings in a ton of humanitarian aid and toys

Pope Francis visits Papua New Guinea, urging an end to tribal violence and promoting love and compassion.

Pope Francis celebrated the Catholic Church of the peripheries on Sunday (September 8, 2024) as he travelled to the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea, bringing with him a ton of medicine and toys and a message of love overcoming violence for the people who live there.

The Pope flew aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-130 transport plane from Port Moresby to Vanimo, on the northwest coast of the South Pacific nation, close to the border with Indonesia. There, he met with the local Catholic community and the missionaries from his native Argentina who have been ministering to them.

A crowd of an estimated 20,000 people gathered on the field in front of the Vanimo cathedral singing and dancing when Pope Francis arrived, and he promptly put on a feathered headdress that had been presented to him.

In remarks from a raised stage, the Pope praised the church workers who go out to try to spread the faith. But he urged the faithful to work closer to home at being good to one another and putting an end to the tribal rivalries and violence that are a regular part of the culture in Papua New Guinea.

He urged them to be like an orchestra, so that all members of the community can come together harmoniously to overcome rivalries.

Doing so, he said, would help to end personal, family and tribal divisions “to drive out fear, superstition and magic from people's hearts, to put an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse, evils which imprison and take away the happiness of so many of our brothers and sisters, even in this country.”

It was a reference to the tribal violence over land and other disputes that have long characterised the country's culture but have grown more lethal in recent years. Francis arrived in Papua New Guinea to urge an end to the violence, including gender-based violence, and for a sense of civic responsibility and cooperation to prevail.