The subtle Catholic spirituality vying with the dangerous darkness in Pope Francis’s ‘peripheries’
PORT MORESBY – The capital city of Papua New Guinea, and one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world, is a classic example of what Pope Francis means when he talks about engaging with and not neglecting the world’s “peripheries”. Flying into the city, one of the most noticeable aspects of Port Moresby is The post The subtle Catholic spirituality vying with the dangerous darkness in Pope Francis’s ‘peripheries’ appeared first on Catholic Herald.
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PORT MORESBY – The capital city of Papua New Guinea, and one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world, is a classic example of what Pope Francis means when he talks about engaging with and not neglecting the world’s “peripheries”.
Flying into the city, one of the most noticeable aspects of Port Moresby is how densely packed it is, with run-down houses crammed together in what appears to be a massive ghetto with no clear distinction between neighbourhoods or various sectors of the city.
On the ground, people are strewn throughout the streets and open areas. Many are simply sitting and loitering around. It’s not like a Western city, where people are busily on the move for a meeting or with “things to do”.
You are also struck by the darkness at night, as there is also often no lighting; only some residents manage to access electricity, even if they are on the grid.
Despite being known for its beautiful coasts, the beaches in Port Moresby are dirty, and there are no locals swimming or sunbathing.
There is also a deeply entrenched cultural affiliation with sorcery and witchcraft, and people suspected of practicing dark magic are often tortured and sometimes killed.
RELATED: Pope Francis confronts dark magic, witchcraft and violence against women in Papua New Guinea
The city, infamous for its high levels of crime – often perpetrated by merciless gangs, and including violent thefts, kidnapping and rape – is full of run-down cars and buses on the roads, transporting passengers in dirty clothes.
Though despite the dilapidated states of these vehicles, they often display an element of national pride on behalf of their owners and drivers, bearing an image or the colours of Papua New Guinea’s national flag.
There is also a very deep sense of spirituality among the people, especially Catholics, who described Pope Francis’s visit as a blessing, and said they were moved and humbled to be in the presence of God’s representative on earth.
The people of Papua New Guinea turned out to see the Pope in droves, with many walking long distances over several days to attend papal events; only two dioceses can access Port Moresby by car, and most people cannot afford a plane ticket.
Some of those who came had never been to the capital before, and only made the trek to see Pope Francis.
Papal events were packed, yet the atmosphere was different from the rambunctious crowds that the Pope often draws. The people of Papua New Guinea displayed a more subtle spirituality, rarely screaming or shouting, and cheering only when the pontiff passed by on his popemobile.
Otherwise, they sat in silence, praying, sometimes weeping, as Pope Francis spoke and rode around in his popemobile; though this is not a sombre people and they typically laughed if he made an off-the-cuff joke.
And Papua New Guineans are certainly not shy of putting their traditional tribal cultures on full display – at every event, groups greeted the Pope with dances and wearing traditional tribal clothing and with bodies fully painted or decorated with markings specific to their clan.
They jumped, danced and sang for the Pope, showing off the extraordinary diversity of Papua New Guinea, where some 800 different tribes and as many languages are present, and which are very much a part of peoples’ identities.
This strange, sometimes disturbing, sometimes uplifting mix is the global “periphery” that Pope Francis came to see, and it is a place where missionaries from around the world carry forward the arduous task of daily evangelisation amid various threats, struggles and setbacks.
Those who carry out this work showed incredible commitment to their work, and an intense love of the Gospel, during the Pope’s visit that they humbly described as a blessing and a source of hope and strength.
Sister Martina Madalpin, who traveled to Port Moresby from another province to attend a meeting between the Pope and local bishops, clergy and religious, described how the fact that Pope Francis chose to come to such a faraway place that faces so many challenges “is a great privilege”. This is because it has enabled Papua New Guineans to present their country, despite being one of the world’s poorest, to a global audience.
She also emphasised how, despite the countries diminutive size, its Catholic faith is strong and “more [so] than in Europe or many other continents” – another part of Pope Francis’s discussions about the need to engage with and respect the “peripheries”.
RELATED: Be close to those on the peripheries, Pope Francis tells clergy and religious in Papua New Guinea
Sister Angela Arua, a member of the congregation of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart who also attended the same meeting, described how people “have been walking for many hours, for many days” – some leaving their homes for up to a week – in the hope of seeing the Pope. She also noted that believers from other Christian denominations in the country also attended papal events.
Arua said Pope Francis’s visit to one of the world’s peripheries might draw more people to the Catholic Church, “because his presence is very important, and we feel that he is a very holy person.”
Brother Saki Yepa, a Capuchin who serves just outside of Port Moresby, and also works as an electrician and a carpenter in his community, emphasised how the whole country, and all the various orders and congregations serving in Papua New Guinea, have come together for the papal visit.
“We would like to spread the good news to people so they can live in harmony and love each other, to share what we have, to look after each other,” he said, adding, “that’s why Pope Francis brings us a big, great joy and peace to this country”.
With Pope Francis continuing his tour of Asia with visits to East Timor, currently, and then to Singapore, Yepa voiced the hope that after the Pope is gone, the memory of his presence “brings us peace so everybody lives in harmony and loves each other”.
If that, or at least a degree of it, could happen, then surely Papua New Guinea would no longer be as well known for the violence of its capital city.
Photo: Papua New Guineans in traditional dress attend a reception for Pope Francis during a meeting with local authorities at the Government House, Port Moresby, 7 September 2024. Pope Francis landed in Papua New Guinea’s Port Moresby on 6 September, the second stop of a marathon 12-day tour to the Asia-Pacific and Oceania regions. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images.)
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