Pope Francis presided over Mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby on Sunday, delivering a powerful message to Papua New Guineans that despite the far distance that separates them from Rome, they are in the center of Christ’s heart.
Approximately 35,000 Catholics from across Papua New Guinea and Oceania came together at the venue, united in their faith and buoyed by the uplifting chants of the Port Moresby Catholic choir’s 100 singers honoring the Lord under the tropical sun.
Pope Francis surprised the crowd by arriving one hour earlier than scheduled to preside over the Mass in the stadium to the great relief and joy of those who had been waiting in the stands since before sunrise for his arrival.
“Brothers and sisters, you who live on this large island in the Pacific Ocean may sometimes have thought of yourselves as a far away and distant land, situated at the edge of the world,” Francis said in his homily.
“Perhaps, for other reasons, you may also at times have felt distant from God and the Gospel, unable to communicate with him or with each other. Yet … today the Lord wants to draw near to you, to break down distances, to let you know that you are at the center of his heart and that each one of you is important.”
The opening procession began with the beating of drums as dancers from the two largest tribes in Papua New Guinea led the many con-celebrating bishops vested in green.
There are 2.5 million Catholics in Papua New Guinea, making up roughly 30% of the population, according to the latest Vatican statistics. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape attended the Mass, underscoring the significance of the pope’s visit for the island country.
Pope Francis read the opening prayers for the Mass in English, a rare occurrence and something only seen on the Argentine pope’s international trips.
The prayers of the faithful were read in three of Papua New Guinea’s more than 800 languages: Motu, Tok Pisin, and English.
In his homily, the pope drew on the day’s Gospel reading about Jesus healing a deaf man, to emphasize the importance of overcoming distance from God and others, prompting the faithful to reflect on their own relationships.
Pope Francis told Catholics, “whenever we feel distant, or we choose to keep ourselves at a distance from God, from our brothers and sisters or from those who are different from us, we close ourselves off, barricading ourselves from the outside.”
Pope Francis called on the Pacific island nation’s faithful to take heart: “Courage, people of Papua New Guinea, do not be afraid! Open yourselves! Open yourselves to the joy of the Gospel; open yourselves to encounter God; open yourselves to the love of your brothers and sisters.”
The pope invoked Blessed John Mazzucconi, a 19th-century Italian missionary to Papua New Guinea, praying that “no one of us remain deaf and mute before this invitation.”
‘Bringing blessings, peace and encouragement’
Cardinal John Ribat, the archbishop of Port Moresby, thanked the pope after Mass, noting that his apostolic visit “brings us blessings, peace and encouragement, and deepens our faith.”
Ribat, who is the first cardinal from his country, highlighted the 142-year history of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, acknowledging its growth and the country’s challenges.
In his Angelus address, Francis entrusted the Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to the Virgin Mary. He prayed for peace “for this great region of the world between Asia, Oceania and the Pacific Ocean,” adding: “No to rearmament and exploitation of our common home! Yes to the encounter between peoples and cultures, yes to the harmony of men and women with creatures!”
The pope will travel to Vanimo on Sunday afternoon to meet local faithful and missionaries. On Monday, he will return to Sir John Guise Stadium again to speak to young people in Port Moresby before departing for East Timor, continuing his 11-day apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
