Faithful from Papua New Guinea walked 3 weeks to see Pope Francis

The Bishop of Kundinawa (Papua New Guinea), Bishop Paul Sundu, states that, of the 300,000 people expected to meet Pope Francis, “many walked two or three weeks before the papal visit,” even from the Solomon Islands.

In statements released by the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMO) in Spain, Bishop Sundu predicts that “the next three days will be a blessing that cannot be forgotten. The presence of the Pope will definitely give us more joy and courage to continue our mission.”

Papua New Guinea is one of the 1,126 mission territories of the Catholic Church, whose first evangelizers arrived there in 1889. Currently its population is 30% Catholic, a percentage that increases at a rate of 40,000 baptized each year. .

In this nation of Oceania, 19 dioceses have been established in which 600 priests work in 400 parishes and tending to more than 800 social institutions such as orphanages, hospitals or leper colonies. In addition, the Catholic Church supports nearly 3,500 schools in the area, according to data provided by OMP Spain.

For the director of PMS in Papua New Guinea, Fr. Víctor Rocha, “the impact of this visit will be shown especially in the faith of the people” in a parish whose commitment is evident because the churches “are full every Sunday, near “70-80% of those baptized attend Mass.”

To sustain this territory considered 100% mission, the help of OMP is essential, which has allocated more than 7 million dollars in the last five years, mostly from the World Mission Day (Domund) collection.

This money is invested in covering current expenses and in building houses, parishes, modes of transportation, drinking water, diocesan radios; also in supporting works of charity and the 4 major seminaries in which 104 candidates for the priesthood are trained.