PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday called for an end to tribal conflicts that have ravaged the people of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea decades and called for fair development of the country’s natural resources. During a visit, the problem of violence against women in the country was also raised.
Dancers in sweeping grass skirts performed for Francis as he opened his first full day in the South Pacific nation with a mix of political and church business. He met with the governor general and dignitaries from the region before visiting local priests, nuns and street children.
Francis is on an 11-day, four-nation tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, the longest and most challenging of his pontificate. He landed in Port Moresby, the capital of the Commonwealth nation, from Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday night to second part of his journey.
In his address to government officials and diplomats, Francis marveled at the diversity of Papua New Guinea’s people – some 800 languages are spoken here – and said their diversity “must be a challenge to the Holy Spirit, who creates harmony in the midst of differences!”
But he also noted that such diversity has long caused conflict here, a reference to the t gross violence over land and other disputes that have long marked the country’s culture but have become more deadly in recent years. Francis called for a sense of civic responsibility and cooperation to prevail for the benefit of all.
“I particularly hope that tribal violence will end, as it causes many casualties, prevents people from living in peace and hampers development,” he said.
If people are willing to sacrifice their personal interests for the common good, he said, “the necessary forces can be mobilized to improve infrastructure, address the health and education needs of the population, and expand opportunities for decent work.”
The poor, strategically important Commonwealth nation It is home to more than 10 million people, most of whom are subsistence farmers.
Papua New Guinea Governor-General Bob Dadae referred to the violence in his remarks, calling in particular for greater protection of women and respect for their rights. It was a reference to the gender violence that has become normalized in a country where accusations of sorcery are common.
According to UN Women, 60% of women in the country have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives, double the global average. Papua New Guinea ranked 160th out of 161 countries on a 2021 UN gender inequality index.
“We want to recognize the role of women and emphasize the need for protection,” Dadae said. “We also recognize the physical and spiritual care that the church continues to provide to those who are abused, neglected or rejected by families and communities.”
Francis adapted his remarks to tie in with the theme, saying that women “are the ones who move the country forward, they give life, they build and they grow, let us not forget the women who are on the frontlines of human and spiritual development.”
The issue of women and inequality is particularly fraught for the Catholic Church, where women are excluded from the priesthood and often treated as second-class citizens by the all-male hierarchy. Francis has condemned gender-based violence, appointed women to top positions in the Vatican and called for women to play a greater role in church decision-making, but he has reaffirmed a ban on the ordination of women.
Francis also called for fair and environmentally sound extraction of the country’s vast natural resources, including gold, nickel and natural gas. Disputes over how wealth should be distributed and who is entitled to mining royalties have often led to conflict.
Francis, who has written entire encyclicals on the environment, has long stressed that the development of natural resources must benefit local people, not just the multinationals that exploit them. Moreover, development must be done in an environmentally responsible way, so that they are preserved for future generations.
He repeated that argument again on Saturday, saying Papua New Guinea’s resources are “divinely intended for the whole community.”
“Even if external experts and large international companies have to be involved in exploiting these resources, it is only right that the needs of local people are given due attention when distributing the proceeds and hiring workers,” he said.
“These ecological and cultural treasures at the same time represent a great responsibility, because they require everyone, civil authorities and all citizens, to promote initiatives that develop natural and human resources in a sustainable and fair way,” he said.
Finally, Francis called for a “definitive solution” to the question from Bougainvillean island region whose population voted overwhelmingly in 2019 for independence from Papua New Guinea. The outcome of the non-binding referendum has not yet been implemented.
Later on Saturday, Francis visited charities caring for street children and met Papua New Guinean clergy and religious sisters at a Marian shrine. On Sunday, he travels deep into the jungle to meet Argentine missionaries.
Despite the rigors of the trip and jet lag (Papua New Guinea is eight hours ahead of Rome time), the 87-year-old Francis appeared in relatively good shape, though he coughed during his speech. He smiled as he handed out sweets to young children dressed in traditional dress who had performed for him.
He was warmly welcomed by the crowd outside, some wearing colorful T-shirts with images of Francis made especially for the occasion. And several leaders from the South Pacific region came to Port Moresby for the rare chance to greet the pope, including the prime minister of Vanuatu, the president of Nauru and the prime minister of Tonga.
Francis is the second pope to visit Papua New Guinea, after John Paul II first visited the country in 1984 and again in 1995 to beatify Peter To Rot, a Catholic layman who was declared a martyr for the faith after dying in prison during World War II.
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