Address by Pope Francis to the faithful of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea

We offer the speech given on Sunday, September 8, 2024 by Pope Francis to the faithful gathered on the esplanade in front of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the Diocese of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea.

Dear brothers and sisters, good afternoon.

I thank the bishop for the words he addressed to me. I greet the authorities, the priests, the religious men and women, the missionaries, the catechists, the young people, the faithful – some of whom have come from very far away – and you, dear children. I thank Maria Joseph, Steven, Sister Jaisha Joseph, David and Maria for what they have shared with us. I am happy to find myself in this wonderful, young and missionary land.

As we have heard, since the mid-19th century the mission in these lands has never been interrupted. Religious men and women, catechists and lay missionaries have never stopped preaching the Word of God and offering help to their brothers in pastoral care, instruction, medical care and in many other areas, having to face many difficulties, to to be instruments “of peace and love” for all, as Sister Jaisha Joseph told us.

In this way, schools, hospitals and missionary centers testify around us that Christ came to bring salvation for all, so that each one may flourish in all his beauty for the benefit of the common good (cf. Exhort. Evangelii Gaudium, 182 ).

You here are beauty “experts” because you are surrounded by it. They live in a magnificent land, rich in a great variety of plants and birds, where one is left speechless at the colors, sounds and smells, and the grandiose spectacle of a nature overflowing with life, which evokes the image of Eden. However, this wealth is entrusted to you by the Lord as a sign and an instrument, so that you too can live like this, united in harmony with Him and with your brothers, respecting the common home and caring for each other (cf. Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, September 1, 2019).

Looking around us, we see how sweet the panorama of nature is. But returning to ourselves, we realize that there is an even more beautiful spectacle: that of what grows in us when we love each other, as David and Mary have witnessed to us, speaking of their journey as spouses, in the sacrament of marriage. And our mission is precisely this: to spread everywhere, through the love of God and our brothers, the beauty of the Gospel of Christ (cf. Ap. Exhort. Evangelii Gaudium, 120).

We have heard how some of you, to do this, face long journeys, to reach even the most distant communities, sometimes leaving your homes, as Steven told us. They carry out something very beautiful, and it is important that they are not left alone, but that the entire community supports them, so that they can fulfill their mandate with serenity, especially when they have to reconcile the demands of the mission with family responsibilities.

However, we can also help them in another way, and that is for each of us to promote the missionary proclamation where he lives (cf. CONC. ECUM. VAT. II, Decr. Ad gentes, 23), that is, at home, at school, in work environments; so that, everywhere, in the jungle, in the villages or in the towns, the beauty of the landscape corresponds to the beauty of a community in which people love each other, as Jesus taught us when he said: “In this everyone will recognize that you are my disciples: in the love that you have for one another” (Jn 13:35; cf. Mt 22:35-40).

Thus, we will form, more and more, like a great orchestra – as María Joseph, our violinist, likes so much -, capable, with her notes, of putting an end to rivalries, of overcoming divisions – personal, family and tribal -, of expelling from the hearts of people fear, superstition and magic; to put an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug consumption – evils that imprison and make so many brothers and sisters unhappy, here too.

Let us not forget: love is stronger than all this and its beauty can heal the world, because it has its roots in God (cf. Catechesis, September 9, 2020). Therefore, we must spread it and defend it, even when doing so may cost us misunderstandings and opposition. Blessed Pedro To Rot – husband, father, catechist and martyr of this land – has testified to us, with his words and his example, who gave his own life to defend the unity of the family of what he wanted. undermine its foundations.

Dear friends: many tourists, after having visited your country, return home saying that they have seen “paradise”. They refer, above all, to the landscape and environmental attractions that they have enjoyed. However, we know, as we have said, that the greatest treasure here is not that. There is another, more beautiful and fascinating, that is found in your hearts and that is manifested in the charity with which you love each other.

This is the most valuable gift that you can share and make known to everyone, making Papua New Guinea famous not only for its variety of flora and fauna, its charming beaches and its crystal clear sea, but also and above all for the good people who there they are found; and I say this especially to you, children, with your contagious smiles and your overflowing joy, which flows in all directions. You are the most beautiful image that those who leave here can take and keep in their hearts.

I encourage you, then, to beautify this blessed land more and more with your presence as a Church that loves. I bless you and pray for you. And I ask you, please, that you also pray for me. Thank you.