Papua New Guinea’s leader said on Monday the late Pope Francis’s visit to his country’s capital and a jungle outpost last year left an “indelible” impression.
Prime Minister James Marape extended his Pacific nation’s “deepest condolences” for the pontiff’s death and praised his four-day trip last September.
Francis held a mass for tens of thousands at a stadium in Port Moresby during the visit and travelled to meet the faithful in the jungle-clad, coastal community of Vanimo.
The visit was “a moment of immense spiritual significance for our country”, Marape said.
“His engagements with our young people and church leaders left an indelible impression on all who witnessed them,” he said.
“His words and presence inspired our people, reminding us to care for the vulnerable, to act justly, and to walk humbly with God.”
More than 90 percent of Papua New Guinea’s 12 million residents call themselves Christian, and about a quarter of those are Catholic.
The religion sits alongside a panoply of local beliefs, customs and rites in Papua New Guinea, one of the Pacific’s poorest and most troubled nations.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the pope’s compassion “embraced all humanity, and today he will be mourned by Catholics and non-Catholics alike”.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon noted that Francis was the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere.
“He will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, to social justice, and to interfaith dialogue,” he said.
