A wide range of merchandise is available, including papal socks, T-shirts, blankets, pillows, iPhone covers, mugs, scarves, stickers, and posters.

One website offers 603 different designs. While many of the items are respectful, not all of them are in good taste.

The pastry shop in Lisbon has definitely nailed it in the taste department.

They have introduced a new cookie to commemorate the event, featuring an image of the pontiff.

The cookie is already in high demand and the shop is making up to 120 cookies daily, hoping to sell thousands at a cost of €2.20 per piece. Read more

O'Neill made the invitation during a meeting today with Sir John Ribat, the Archbishop of Port Moresby who is soon to become Papua New Guinea's first Cardinal, and Archbishop Kurian Mathew Vayalunkal, the new Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

"This is an honor for our people and we are proud of our first Cardinal," said O'Neill.

"Following Cardinal Ribat's elevation I hope now that we will be able to receive Pope Francis in Papua New Guinea."

"Pope John Paul II visited Papua New Guinea on two occasions and people of all Christian denominations in our country would like to welcome His Holiness, Pope Francis."

"A Papal visit brings people together, and unites them through commitment to God and Church, regardless of which denomination the are from."

"We will continue a dialogue with representatives of the Vatican to formalise this offer for the Pope to visit."

O'Neill also spoke highly of the role that the Church has played in PNG's history.

"For many decades the Government did not do much in rural and remote areas, and it was the church that stepped in to help our people."

"I know this was the case in my own district in Pangia when I was growing up, there was no Government support and this continued many years after Independence."

Archbishop Vayalumkal recently arrived in Papua New Guinea to begin his appointment.

He has been with the Diplomatic Corps of Vatican since 1998 and worked in Hungary, Korea, Dominican Republic, Egypt and Bangladesh.

He also served in Haiti after a large earthquake in 2010 to oversee the humanitarian work taken up by the Vatican.

Source

• news.pngfacts.com
• facebook.com
• Image: facebook

However, the Vatican has not released any official confirmation.

The Indonesian bishops want Francis to come for Asian Youth Day.

The 7th Asian Youth Day is taking place in Yogyakarta, a city on the island of Java, from July 30 to Aug. 6. 2017.

The Indonesian government would welcome a visit by the Pope as the new Indonesian ambassador to the Holy See Antonius Agus Sriyono, made clear when he presented his credentials to the pope on March 21.

Francis responded noncommittally, saying, "I would be happy to come to Indonesia if I could," but his words were widely reported in Indonesia and are being interpreted in a positive sense.

In August last year the Indonesian minister of religious affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin invited Pope Francis to visit Indonesia to discuss various issues relating to peace and prevention of conflict between different religious followers.

"With all humbleness we invite Pope Francis to visit Indonesia," the minister said when receiving Cardinal Pietro Parolin from the Vatican's State Secretary at his office.

In February 2016, Jakarta Post reported Srivono as saying, '€"Pope Francis plans to visit Indonesia in July 2017, coinciding with the Asian Youth Day when Indonesia serves as the host."

There are other important reasons too why Indonesia is high on the list of possible venues for Francis' next visit to Asia.

Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population.

Some 90 percent of its 270 million people are Muslim.

9 percent are Christian (Catholics count for over 3 percent, with 7.5 million faithful); most of the others are Buddhist (0.6 percent) or Kong Hu Chu (Confucian).

If Francis were to go to Indonesia, he would be the third pope to visit the country.

Paul VI went there in 1970 (and also visited Pakistan and seven other countries).

John Paul II arrived in 1989 and also went to East Timor, then a province of Indonesia but now an independent state—Timor-Leste, which has just celebrated the fifth centenary of its evangelisation and wants Francis to visit.

Although this is a majority-Muslim country, Indonesia is not an Islamic state; it is a pluralist society based on the Pancasila (Five Principles).

The first of these principles is belief in one supreme God.

The founding fathers Indoneisa which has 15,000 islands and 400 ethnic groups agreed that Indonesia is neither a secular nor a theocratic state.

Though various attempts have been made since independence in 1945 to impose Shariah law within the Constitution.

None have succeeded. Indonesia has experienced authoritarian rule at some periods since independence, but it remains a democracy.

Source

• americamagazine.org
• antaranews.com
• thejakartapost.com
• Image: radiovatican.va

"I think papal trips are always good," the pope was quoted as saying during the flight back to Rome after a week in Brazil.

Pope Francis, however, said there is still "nothing definite-definite," but added that he will "tell you what I'm thinking."

The pope is set to travel to Cagliari in southern Italy on September 22 to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria. On October 4 he will go to Assisi for the feast of St. Francis.

He said he also hopes to fulfill an idea proposed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who suggested they meet in Jerusalem in 2014 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's meeting with Patriarch Athenagoras.

Pope Francis also said "it is possible to go to Asia," although he said "this is all up in the air."

"A trip to Asia must be made, because Pope Benedict didn't have time to go to Asia and it is important," he said.

"I think it is possible to go to Asia, even if everything is still up in the air," he added. "I have received invitations to go to Sri Lanka and to the Philippines."

The Philippines officially invited Pope Francis immediately after his inauguration Mass last March.

Sources

UCA News

Catholic News Service

Image: ANSA/TELENEWS/CNA