Pope Francis flies to remote corner of Papua New Guinea as Asia trip pivots to marginalized communities

Pope Francis emphasized the importance of a Catholic Church serving marginalized communities during his trip to Papua New Guinea over the weekend, flying in a military plane to one of the most remote parts of the Pacific nationas part of his lengthy Asia tour.

Speaking to church leaders in the capital, Port Moresby, he told them to focus on the “peripheries of this country” and those in the most deprived urban areas.

He insisted the church was committed to helping those who are wounded “morally and physically” due to “prejudice and superstition.” According to rights group Human Rights Watch, Papua New Guinea is one of the most dangerous places in the world for women or girls, due to high rates of sexual violence.

The 87-year-old is currently on the longest trip of his pontificate – a marathon 12-day visit of four countries in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, which also includes East Timor and Singapore.

Francis delivered his remarks at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians church, where the Catholic community undertakes various charitable and educational works.

Beforehand he had visited the Caritas Technical Secondary School, a school for underprivileged girls, and those from the “street ministry” and “Callan services,” which work with the poorest and those with disabilities.

His decision to visit the school – which provides educational opportunities for girls – was significant given the discrimination and violence women suffer in Papua New Guinea. At the shrine, Francis also heard remarks from two women involved in church ministry.

The pope also spoke off-the-cuff during his talk, insisting twice that bishops and priests in Papua New Guinea follow the “style of God,” which is “closeness, tenderness and compassion.”

At the end, he greeted the crowd outside the church and, speaking in English, thanked them for their patience before offering them a blessing. He also joked with them to “pray for me, and not against me.”

Visit to remote corner of PNG

The following day a military airplane operated by the Royal Australian Air Force took Pope Francis to one of the most remote parts of Papua New Guinea.

CNN was among media able to travel from Port Moresby with Francis on a trip no pope has embarked on before – to Vanimo, the northwestern tip of the country, a place with no running water and little electricity.

The military plane – a C130 – carried some much-needed supplies including medicines, clothing, toys, and musical instruments for school children.

When the Argentine pope was elected, he told the crowd that the cardinals had chosen someone from the “ends of the Earth.” On his visit to Vanimo, more than 8,077 miles (13,000 kilometers) from Rome, the pope was putting his “ends of the Earth” style into action, showcasing the vision he has for a Catholic Church that goes out to the “peripheries.”

And Francis seemed happy and at home during his time in Vanimo.

An estimated crowd of 20,000 gathered on a grass field opposite Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral, music pumping out as they waited for the pontiff to arrive. They cheered when he made it onto the stage and cheered again when the pope promptly put on a feathered headdress given to him.

Out in the crowd, people had lined up plastic bottles of water, olive oil and salt so they could hold them up for the pope to bless. A number had travelled long distances by foot to be there with Vanimo largely inaccessible except by plane or boat.

After his meeting with local Catholics, the pope went to a school run by Argentine missionaries which helps orphaned children. Pope Francis was invited to Vanimo by one of the missionary priests and while there they served the pontiff mate, the Argentinian tea.

Sister Daisy Anne Lisania Augustine, who works for the bishops of Papua New Guinea and was in Vanimo for the visit, said the Catholic leader had seen a side of the country that is “mostly unheard of,” and that people in the area rarely get to see such an influential leader.

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