Pope hosts mass in remote Papua New Guinea town

Pontiff calls for end to tribal violence in nearby communities

- NAMITA SINGH

Pope Francis has made a historic visit to the jungles of Papua New Guinea, holding an open-air mass "at the edge of the world" in the coastal town of Vanimo, where he addressed a crowd of 20,000 people. In his sermon, Francis praised the church workers who spread the faith but urged the faithful to work closer to home to end tribal rivalries and violence.

The 87-year-old pontiff flew into Vanimo, a coastal town with a population of 11,000, where he met with the local Catholic community and missionaries from his native Argentina. The Pope’s visit aimed to promote civic responsibility, cooperation, and an end to violence, including gender-based violence. He brought medicine, musical instruments, and toys to support the local population.

“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. “Yet today the Lord wants to draw near to you, to break down distances, to let you know that you are at the centre of his heart and that each one of you is important to him.”