Speaking at St Peter's Square on 18 September, the Pope said the Church is "more alive" in areas like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

The pontiff emphasised the Church's need to move beyond its European roots and embrace the global Catholic community.

Francis remarked "We are still too Eurocentric… but in reality, the Church is much bigger… and much more alive in these countries".

Fraternity is the future

Reflecting on the Asian tour, Pope Francis praised the "missionary, outgoing Church" he encountered, especially in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country where Catholics make up only 3% of the population.

He observed a dynamic faith community there, actively transmitting the Gospel.

Pope Francis signed a joint declaration with the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Indonesia, condemning religious-based violence and promoting interfaith harmony.

"There, I saw that fraternity is the future, it is the answer to anti-civilisation, to the diabolical plots of hatred, war and also sectarianism" he said.

In Papua New Guinea, the Pope was welcomed by indigenous tribes who have embraced Catholicism.

He met with missionaries and catechists whom he called the "protagonists" of his visit and expressed hope for a future free from tribal violence and colonial dependencies.

Salt and light

The Pope's visit to East Timor, predominantly a Catholic nation, also left a strong impression.

He was touched by the country's large families and abundant religious vocations.

He called East Timor a model of a "culture of life", contrasting it with wealthier nations like Singapore which he said could learn from its example of high birth rates.

His final stop in Singapore, though starkly different from the other nations, reaffirmed his belief in the power of small, faith-driven communities.

"Even in wealthy Singapore, there are the ‘little ones' who follow the Gospel and become salt and light, witnesses to a hope greater than what economic gains can guarantee" he added.

The Pope's reflections emphasised the universality of the Catholic Church, urging believers to look beyond Europe to the flourishing faith communities in other parts of the world.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

La Croix International

CathNews New Zealand

"No one cares about the tragic fate of the Papuan minority, who suffer from the injustices of the ruling powers and the Indonesian military, who accuse them of being separatists," said Father Alexandro Rangga.

Speaking by phone from Jakarta, the 37-year-old Franciscan, originally from Flores and living in Jayapura, the capital of Indonesian Papua for 20 years, summarised the tragedy and violence the Papuan minority has suffered since their territory's annexation in 1969, largely hidden from the world.

Papua lives under constant tension

"Majority Christian and Catholic," Father Rangga noted, "the Papuans hope to hear a message of support and hope from Pope Francis, who is attuned to issues of injustice, migration, and environmental destruction."

Closed off to journalists and UN diplomats seeking to investigate human rights abuses by the Indonesian military, Papua remains tense.

While neighboring Papua New Guinea, with a population of 10 million, gained independence from Australia in 1975, Indonesia forcefully took control of the other half of the island, Papua, home to 6 million people, in 1962, officially annexing it in 1969 after a sham referendum endorsed by the United Nations.

A militarised province

"It's Indonesia's original sin against this province, rich in natural resources," lamented a Jesuit priest recently returning from Papua.

The wealth from copper, gold, nickel, gas, and precious timber does not benefit the people of Papua, who remain the poorest in Indonesia.

Underdevelopment and discrimination have fueled an independence conflict that has displaced 100,000 people and claimed 150,000 lives.

For five decades, the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) has waged a low-intensity guerrilla war against the Indonesian military, which tightly controls the region.

"Since 2001, there's been a special autonomy law, but it's had little impact on local populations who demand a fairer share of the mining profits.

"What's happening is both a genocide and an ecocide, while the military presence has never been stronger," asserted Ayu Utami, a Catholic writer and human rights activist in Jakarta.

"She believes "Papua is a disaster because the government only approaches the issue through a security lens. The army should be withdrawn to pacify the region, but local oligarchs, politicians, and generals are in collusion."

Delivering messages to the Pope remains a challenge

For weeks, the Justice and Peace Commission in Jayapura has been trying to send a message to Pope Francis about the humanitarian catastrophe in Papua.

However, an Indonesian priest, speaking anonymously, revealed there are "obstacles and significant pressure, even from within the Catholic hierarchy, to prevent the pope from receiving these messages or addressing the Papuan issue."

A book written by 34 Papuans, including priests, detailing the history of Papuan Catholics and translated into Italian, was meant to be presented to Pope Francis in Jakarta by the Bishop of Jayapura, but this was prohibited.

"We still have hope," said Father Rangga.

"For the Papuans, even a simple mention of their existence by the Pope would be a form of recognition of their suffering and a political success that could improve their future."

• First published by La Croix International
• Dorian Malovic is a French journalist, winner of the 2007 Grand prix catholique de littérature.

He encouraged the faithful to be missionaries in their daily lives - at home, school and work.

He acknowledged the contributions of past and present missionaries who served in the region since the 19th century. These missionaries he noted, have faced challenges but have been "instruments of peace and love" for the people.

Pope Francis highlighted the impact of the Church's mission in Papua New Guinea, pointing to the development of churches, schools, hospitals and missionary centres, saying these institutions help the faithful to "flourish in all their beauty for the sake of the common good".

"You are ‘experts' in beauty here, because you are surrounded by it!" he noted. "You live in a magnificent land, enriched by a great variety of plants and birds."

The beauty of the Gospel of Christ

Francis said God has entrusted the people of Papua New Guinea with this "sweetness" of nature for the benefit of all.

"When we look to ourselves, we realise that there is an even more beautiful sight: that which grows in us when we love one another" said the Pope.

"Indeed, our mission is precisely to spread the beauty of the Gospel of Christ everywhere through loving God and our brothers and sisters."

In a special message to children, Pope Francis praised their joy and smiles, describing them as the most beautiful image visitors can take from the country.

The Pope stressed the importance of overcoming societal divisions and harmful behaviour. He encouraged the faithful to confront issues such as violence, infidelity, alcohol and drug abuse, and superstition.

"Let us remember that love is stronger than all this and its beauty can heal the world, because it has its roots in God" he said. He then urged everyone to share Christ's Gospel through love.

"Love is stronger than all this" he said, adding that love rooted in God can heal the world.

Sources

Vatican News

The Guardian

He said proclaiming the Gospel should "always be done with great respect and fraternal affection for all".

Fraternal living means "accepting one another and recognising each other as equals in our differences" Francis said.

It is important "in a world in which the tendency to divide, assert and provoke seems to be increasing".

Christian charity is necessary as it requires we get closer to one another, he said.

Evangelise with patience, Francis recommended.

Missionary work means accepting people's "dreams and desires for liberation and justice".

It means caring for people, supporting them and working with them, Francis explained. Including others in this work is necessary to "widen the net and the boundaries in a great, expanding dynamic of love".

"We need to let go of everything that stops us from getting in touch with those who are down and so lift them up and give them new hope" he said.

Indonesia

The Pope praised the Church in Indonesia for its fraternal tradition.

He said he could see the "openness with which it deals with the different realities that make it up and surround it, on a cultural, ethnic, social and religious level".

Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea Francis heard of testimonies about the joy and difficulties catechists and clergy experience when evangelising people.

"Don't be discouraged by difficulties or misunderstandings, even when they arise in places where we especially do not want to encounter them" Francis said.

Among those who spoke was a woman who went to the Synod on Synodality last year.

Praising her, Francis said it is possible to show how beautiful it is to follow Jesus together and proclaim His gospel among people.

Sources

• UCA News
• english.katholisch.de

"Our partners on the ground in Papua New Guinea are currently conducting a rapid needs assessment in the affected villages to determine the most urgent priorities," Caritas Australia stated on its website on May 28.

"The recovery is expected to be long, and food, shelter, and clean water are amongst the most urgent needs for people who have lost their homes because of the landslide," the organisation said.

The landslide struck the Pacific island's Enga province in the early hours of May 24, leaving sleeping villagers barely any time to escape.

Read More

Nearly 70 percent or about 3 million of the total 4.3 million population of this underdeveloped province are Christians. Around 675,000 are Catholics. Additionally, there are around 90,000 Catholics in West Papua out of a total of 1.1 million inhabitants.

Catholics in Papua live in the dioceses of Jayapura, Timika, Manokwari-Sorong, Agats-Asmat, and the archdiocese of Merauke. Among these five, Jayapura diocese is the oldest.

Over the last several years, especially since Franciscan Bishop Leo Laba Lajar turned 75 four years ago, Catholics in Jayapura diocese have appealed to the Vatican via Indonesian bishops to appoint a native Papuan. A similar appeal came from Timika Catholics after the death of Bishop John Philip Saklil in 2019.

The Vatican recently granted Jayapura's request by appointing Father Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai You, 61, to replace Bishop Ladjar.

Bishop You's appointment is not just good news for Papua Catholics. It elevates their cultural identity that has been underestimated for decades and also shows recognition of the maturity of the faith of local people who embraced Christianity over a century ago.

The Catholic mission in Papua began in 1894 when two Jesuit missionaries arrived in the area now known as Fakfak. Soon, the territory was handed over to Sacred Heart Missionaries (MSC) who in the early 1900s sent a group to work among Papuans. Later, Franciscan missionaries joined them.

In 1949, a more structured Catholic Church began with the establishment of the Prefecture Apostolic of Hollandia, which later became Jayapura diocese.

Not having a local as their bishop was a big concern for Papuans who have lived for decades under the shadow of violence.

Poverty, brutality and discrimination since Papua was annexed nearly 60 years ago forced them to look for some kind of recognition, which was hard to obtain from the Indonesian government.

Their only hope was the Catholic Church. But for many Papuans, the Church was "near yet far."

They felt as if the Indonesian bishops had abandoned them and developed distrust in the hierarchy.

Retired Franciscan Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar (left) of Jayapura Diocese in Indonesia's Papua province announces the name of Father Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai You (right) as his successor

Last year, Catholics in Papua even issued a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the five bishops in Papua and the Indonesian Bishops' Conference in general. They demanded that all bishops in their region be replaced by native Papuans who would know better the geographical, anthropological and social dynamics of Papuan life.

It became a serious issue with disappointment in the Catholic Church having grown sharply.

Now, their wish has come true. But is having a native Papuan bishop the ultimate goal? Is there any difference between having a native and non-native Papuan prelate?

Bishop You may be the first ethnic Papuan bishop but a taste of what it's like to have a "Papuan" bishop came in the form of Bishop John Philip Saklil of Timika. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II when Timika diocese separated from Jayapura.

Bishop Saklil was born in Papua, but since his parents came from Maluku, he was not considered a native bishop.

His siding with the people, even openly opposing Indonesian corporations encroaching in Papuan forests, earned him their love.

Papuans want other bishops in the region to act bravely. Will Bishop You be able to meet people's expectations? Only time will tell.

Catholics in Jayapura diocese recognize the new bishop as someone who has been faithful and committed to serving the people.

Ordained a priest in 1991 after completing four-year training at the Fajar Timur Institute of Philosophy and Theology, where he is currently the president, Bishop You has served Papuan Catholics in different parishes.

Having a doctorate in anthropology from a Papuan university, he is believed to be the right person to assume the role of bishop. He knows the struggle of the people.

This doesn't mean non-native Papuan bishops are not good shepherds.

Papua's situation is more complex than in any other part of the country. Bishop You's appointment narrows the gap between Papua-born Catholics and outsiders.

The appointment of an indigenous Papuan as bishop gives a strong signal that the Universal Church is listening to them. It shows that the Catholic Church recognizes Papua to be part of the Universal Church.

The impact of that is tremendous. Amidst people's helplessness in the face of uncertainty, due to decades of intimidation, discrimination and violence, the Catholic Church hasn't abandoned them.

It's important for Papuans that the Church stands by its people. It's believed that this will help restore people's trust in the clergy.

The presence of native Papuan bishops can rebuild the shattered hopes of Papuan Catholics who feel the dominating presence of people and clergy from outside Papua.

It's certainly not the case that this means Catholics are also pushing for Papua to separate from Indonesia.

They want a native Papuan bishop, not for political purposes nor to support independence. They simply want a Church that is increasingly rooted in Papuan culture.

They just want a leader who understands their situation and life struggles.

Fred Hollows has set up a solar energy system at the Madang Eye Clinic involving 160 photovoltaic panels and six batteries all running from a 20-foot shipping container.

The panels have been placed on the clinic's roof and the PNG country manager for Fred Hollows Lucinda Gulluman-Kisip said they have now been able to replace the service provided by PNG's national power grid.

She said power outages are a common service feature from the national grid.

The Fred Hollows Foundation has thanked the Australian NGO Cooperation Program, the Pacific Development and Conservation Trust, and the many New Zealanders who donate to it for providing the support to get the solar power system up and running. Read more

Prime Minister James Marape said PNG had more than 20 different Christian churches.

"Many who claim to be Christian integrate their Christian faith with some indigenous beliefs and practices," he said.

"The influence of the church has over the years transformed many societies across the country to the extent of replacing some of their cultural beliefs, while some have merged culture with religion."

Marape also said the churches provided 60 to 80 percent of social and welfare services in the country.

"Church networks are trusted by most people." Read more

He said he wants the Ombudsman to either speak directly to the government or challenge the new law in the Supreme Court.

"In many respects the act was unconstitutional," Mr Harricknen said. Read more

The general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Giorgio Licini, wrote to PNG's Prime Minister James Marape in January about this.

In the letter Licini reminded Marape of New Zealand's long standing offer to resettle 150 refugees each year from Australian offshore detention in PNG and Nauru.

New Zealand's offer was first extended to Australia in 2013 by former prime minister John Key. The offer has been restated by Jacinda Ardern's government.

The Australian government has refused to take up the offer.

It says it would encourage more people smuggling by boat and that it would create a back door for the refugees to enter Australia.

Giorgio suggested Marape should "not hesitate to discuss this option with the prime minister and the government of New Zealand".

It would give "psychological relief to individuals now almost totally exhausted after seven years of uncertainty and restricted freedom of movement", Giorgio said.

There are about 200 refugees left in PNG.

One hundred of the refugees are unlikely to be accepted for resettlement in the United States, Father Giorgio said.

A similar number remains on Nauru.

In July 2013, the Australian government ruled that no refugees being detained offshore would be resettled in Australia.

Since then, the Australian government has locked up 3127 people without trial in Nauru and on Manus Island.

The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court last week described Australia's detention of refugees in PNG and Nauru as cruel, inhuman, degrading and illegal under international law.

Source

• RNZ
• Image: RNZ

Justice David Susame told a National Court hearing in New Ireland, that it is becoming a practice in some parts of the country to round up people, accuse them of sorcery, and torture them.

He said some of the victims die, others have brutal injuries and their properties are often destroyed.

The judge said the situation has caught the attention of the global community and human rights advocates, forcing the government to act.

The National newspaper reported the six were originally charged with attempted murder but Justice Susame sentenced them on the lesser charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Read more

Besides pushing for a definitive end to the detention of refugees on Manus Island, the bishops are also highlighting the plight of various groups in the country who have not gained refugee status.

In a recent Church-led public forum in Port Moresby, the difficulties and uncertain futures faced by asylum seekers and stateless people with permissive residency were discussed.

The president of PNG's Catholic Professionals Society, Paul Harricknen, says both PNG and Australian governments must stop holding 600 refugees on Manus as it is unlawful.

In 2016, PNG's Supreme Court ruled that holding men on Manus against their will was unconstitutional. PNG's government claims the men are no longer detained on Manus, but Harricknen says the men have no freedom, are monitored and are kept against their will.

"Most of them do not want to stay in PNG because in the first place PNG was not their destination.

"And for them to be brought here and detained and continue to be detained, whether you keep them on Manus, whether the detention centre is closed, whether you keep them in a hotel and give them money and expect them to run around, that's still detention."

The Church has written to PNG's government about the medical condition of the refugees on Manus, calling for a dignified ending to Australia's indefinite detention of the men in PNG.

Harricknen says the government indicated it is outside its power to do anything about it.

The Church is seeking support from the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to push the governments to end the plight of the men on Manus.

Comments from the refugees who attended the forum spoke of the difficulties and uncertain futures faced by asylum seekers and stateless people with permissive residency.

While one refugee pointed out his and other refugees' indebtedness to PNG, others spoke of hardship.

"It's also very hard, like when I go out sometimes some people they call 'asylum seeker' or 'refugee'. It still make hard. It's not easy. We need justice. My other friends they got refugee certificates, so I'm the rejected one and I don't know what will happen, and I stay six years."

Source

• Radio NZ
• Image: aljazeera.com

The general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Giorgio Licini, has written to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill saying PNG leaders should negotiate a deadline with Australia to release refugees imprisoned on Manus Island.

The island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea.

Licini says ending almost six years of indefinite detention for about 600 male refugees should be done on medical and humanitarian grounds.

Prolonging the refugees' detention would compromise their chances of being resettled elsewhere, he says.

"I am now humbly asking you to give a very close deadline to the authorities in Canberra for the removal of all refugees from our country on the basis of strongly compelling medical and humanitarian reasons.

"Without this decision, the mentally impaired people will grow by the dozens in the next few weeks and months. Who is going to care for them? They risk outright rejection by any third country", he wrote.

Licini also explained in his letter that uncertainty about the future had caused a breakdown in the refugees' mental health, and depression and hopelessness had led to self-harm and suicide attempts becoming a daily occurrence.

He said during a recent two-day visit to the island, three refugees had attempted suicide.

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Amnesty International

Many die in government-owned hospitals.

Three months ago a document on patients who have passed away at Jayapura Public Hospital was circulated among journalists in Papua.

It recorded 1,275 deaths from 2008 to 2012. Read more

APEC discussions will include investment and trade opportunities.

The bishops say they are concerned about the PNG government's high spending and what they see as being an unequal distribution of wealth. Read more

The study, Kauntim mi tu ("Count me too") was released on 16 May in Port Moresby by the PNG Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS, the Honourable Sir Puka Temo.

Populations considered most at risk for HIV and sexually transmissible infections (STIs) are female sex workers; men who have sex with men; and transgender women.

HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Port Moresby was 14.9%, Lae 11.9% and Mt Hagen 19.6%.

Even more concerning is that less than half those were aware they had the virus.

Among men who have sex with men and transgender people, HIV prevalence was 8.5% in Port Moresby and 7.1% in Lae.

"Far more work needs to be undertaken to ensure increased access to testing," said principal investigator Dr Kelly Hanku.

"However, equally concerning is the high prevalence of stigma, sexual and physical violence, poverty and depression experienced by these populations."

The report revealed that almost half the female sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender women surveyed said they felt they needed to hide their sexual practices when accessing health services.

"People who are concerned about stigma from health services may be deterred from attending and will not be able to receive the full range of services available," she said.

"This is why a holistic approach to HIV and STIs is urgently needed in PNG, alongside a scale-up in the supply of essential antibiotics and HIV treatment."

Source

• asopa.typepad.com
• kirby.unsw.edu.au
• Image: oxfam.org.nz Anne Lockley

The bishop of Bougainville, Bernard Unabali, says the church will support whatever the outcome would be - independence or autonomy.

He said this when preaching at Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral at Hahela in Buka last Sunday.

"We'll not tell you to vote for independence or vote for autonomy.

"We'll only support whatever the outcome is - independence or autonomy," he told the congregation.

He said he would not let the church become involved in politics, and wanted to see a clear line of demarcation between it and the government.

"The church should keep a fair distance from politics and only engage in the spiritual aspects."

Unabali said a peaceful post-referendum transition period was crucial.

Some of the spiritual events to take place before the referendum are reconciliation by clans at the village level.

A region-wide prayer vigil, would be held on the 14th of June, 2019 - just a day before the vote takes place.

The referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea next year will be conducted under the terms of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

The Bougainville Department of Peace Agreement Implementation is touring PNG's main centres to make people aware of the upcoming vote and their right to have their say.

The department head, former Bougainville president James Tanis, said they wanted to encourage people to participate and to ensure they were enrolled in time.

"The Peace Agreement already says that they need to participate in the referendum, but what we are working on is a process through which we can confirm their eligibility.

"There are a lot of Bougainvilleans outside Bougainville. We are trying to establish contact with them."

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• looppng.com
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: catholicukes.org.au

Miriori is the former Bougainville Interim Government (BIG) and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and Secretary and international spokesman.

A referendum on the status of Bougainville is scheduled for June 2019. It is the final step in the region's lengthy Peace Agreement.

Miriori said there is no turning back because the people cannot forget about all the injustices and unfair treatment and the injuries caused to them during the crisis.

He said that Bougainvillean's have already paid a huge price with a loss of more than 20, 000 lives during the 10 years of conflict, mostly as a result of the Papua New Guinea economic blockade imposed in 1990.

The blockade continued until the signing of the ceasefire agreement in April 1998 under the leadership of the late Bill Skate.

The three former prime ministers who make up the delegation are Sir Rabbie Namaliu, Sir Julius Chan and Paias Wingti.

Miriori pointed out that Sir Rabbie Namaliu was responsible for escalating the Bougainville crisis by sending in the PNG Defence Force, while Sir Julius Chan tried to send the mercenary group, Sandline, into Bougainville.

Miriori said that geographically, ethically, culturally and historically, Bougainville was never meant to be part of Papua New Guinea.

He said they are by nature and have from time immemorial always be part of the Solomon Islands Archipelago but cannot be part of the Independent State of Solomon Islands.

"Bougainville has all the wealth and natural resources, a big enough population and the natural sea Boundary to become an independent and sovereign state on its own."

Source

• postcourier.com.pg
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: lfongroka.blogspot.co.nz

The exact toll from a magnitude 6.7 aftershock that followed just after midnight on Wednesday 7 March is unknown but at least 18 people are said to have died or been injured.

On Tuesday Pope Francis had offered his condolences in a telegram from Cardinal Pietro Parolin:

It was with great sadness that His Holiness Pope Francis learned of the tragic loss of life following the recent earthquake in Papua New Guinea.

Commending the souls of the deceased to the mercy of Almighty God, he sends his heartfelt condolences to their families, and he assures all those affected by this disaster of his closeness in prayer.

Upon all those who mourn at this difficult time, and upon the emergency personnel involved in the important relief efforts, Pope Francis willingly invokes the divine blessings of strength and consolation.

At least 67 people were killed in Hela Province in central Papua New Guinea, according to an estimate by the Hela Council of Churches.

Another 38 or 39 died in Southern Highlands Province, the Papua New Guinea Red Cross said.

"Loss of family houses is spread across the province," said a report by the Hela Council of Churches.

"Many families are sleeping together in temporary camps under canvases."

The report added that health clinics, water supplies and gardens that residents depend on for food were all damaged in last week's earthquake.

"Citizens have become traumatized," the report said. "People are confused and frightened and many more are refusing to return to their own houses."

The Papua New Guinea Red Cross said as many as 143,000 people could have been affected by the earthquake, with 17,000 displaced from their homes.

Source

• vaticannews.va
• catholicnewsagency.com
• nytimes.com
• Image: ndtv.com/Reuters