Pope Francis landed at Port Moresby International Airport in Papua New Guinea on September 6, 2024, at 7:09 p.m. local time (11:09 a.m. Rome time), for the second leg of his 12-day trip across four countries in Asia and Oceania. After spending three days in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Pontiff will now stay in Papua New Guinea (PNG) until September 9.
The Pope took off from Jakarta International Airport earlier this morning at 10:37 a.m. local time (5:37 a.m. Rome time), with a 50 minute delay, on a Garuda Indonesia flight. The soon-to-be 88-year-old Pontiff flew almost 4,700 kilometers (2,920 miles) to reach Oceania. This is his first time on the continent.
Pope Francis was welcomed upon his arrival by the Deputy Prime Minister and received military honors, as he was greeted by 21 cannon shots. According to his schedule he then went directly to the Apostolic Nunciature, as no further public engagements are scheduled for Friday.
The Pope’s days in Indonesia
His three days in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world and the first stop on his tour of Asia and Oceania, were marked by numerous invitations to interreligious dialogue. In his address to civil authorities, he called to fight against religious extremism.
During his visit he also encouraged the Indonesian clergy and religious in their mission, held a meeting with the Muslim community at the Istiqlal mosque and celebrated Mass for some 100,000 Catholics gathered at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium.
The Pope’s schedule in PNG
Pope Francis will now stay in Papua New Guinea for three days. Tomorrow morning in the capital, he is due to meet the governor general and the country’s authorities. Then, in the afternoon, he has a meeting with the priests, religious, and other members of the local Church. On Sunday, he will celebrate a public Mass, as well as take a day trip to the small town of Vanimo, which borders the Pacific Ocean in the far northwest of the country.
On September 9, after a final meeting with the young people of PNG, Francis will continue his tour to East Timor until September 11. He will then go to Singapore from September 11 to 13.
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