St. Andrew Catholic Church

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 8, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sep 7, 2024 / 21:43 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis presided over Mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby on Sunday, delivering a powerful message to Papua New Guineans that despite the far distance that separates them from Rome, they are in the center of Christ’s heart. 

Approximately 35,000 Catholics from across Papua New Guinea and Oceania came together at the venue, united in their faith and buoyed by the uplifting chants of the Port Moresby Catholic choir’s 100 singers honoring the Lord under the tropical sun.

Pope Francis surprised the crowd by arriving one hour earlier than scheduled to preside over the Mass in the stadium to the great relief and joy of those who had been waiting in the stands since before sunrise for his arrival.

“Brothers and sisters, you who live on this large island in the Pacific Ocean may sometimes have thought of yourselves as a far away and distant land, situated at the edge of the world,” Francis said in his homily.

“Perhaps, for other reasons, you may also at times have felt distant from God and the Gospel, unable to communicate with him or with each other.  Yet … today the Lord wants to draw near to you, to break down distances, to let you know that you are at the center of his heart and that each one of you is important.”

The opening procession began with the beating of drums as dancers from the two largest tribes in Papua New Guinea led the many con-celebrating bishops vested in green.

There are 2.5 million Catholics in Papua New Guinea, making up roughly 30% of the population, according to the latest Vatican statistics. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape attended the Mass, underscoring the significance of the pope’s visit for the island country.

Pope Francis read the opening prayers for the Mass in English, a rare occurrence and something only seen on the Argentine pope’s international trips.

The prayers of the faithful were read in three of Papua New Guinea’s more than 800 languages: Motu, Tok Pisin, and English.

In his homily, the pope drew on the day’s Gospel reading about Jesus healing a deaf man, to emphasize the importance of overcoming distance from God and others, prompting the faithful to reflect on their own relationships.

Pope Francis told Catholics, “whenever we feel distant, or we choose to keep ourselves at a distance from God, from our brothers and sisters or from those who are different from us, we close ourselves off, barricading ourselves from the outside.” 

Pope Francis called on the Pacific island nation’s faithful to take heart: “Courage, people of Papua New Guinea, do not be afraid! Open yourselves! Open yourselves to the joy of the Gospel; open yourselves to encounter God; open yourselves to the love of your brothers and sisters.”

The pope invoked Blessed John Mazzucconi, a 19th-century Italian missionary to Papua New Guinea, praying that “no one of us remain deaf and mute before this invitation.”

‘Bringing blessings, peace and encouragement’

Cardinal John Ribat, the archbishop of Port Moresby, thanked the pope after Mass, noting that his apostolic visit “brings us blessings, peace and encouragement, and deepens our faith.” 

Ribat, who is the first cardinal from his country, highlighted the 142-year history of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, acknowledging its growth and the country’s challenges.

In his Angelus address, Francis entrusted the Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to the Virgin Mary. He prayed for peace “for this great region of the world between Asia, Oceania and the Pacific Ocean,” adding: “No to rearmament and exploitation of our common home! Yes to the encounter between peoples and cultures, yes to the harmony of men and women with creatures!”

The pope will travel to Vanimo on Sunday afternoon to meet local faithful and missionaries. On Monday, he will return to Sir John Guise Stadium again to speak to young people in Port Moresby before departing for East Timor, continuing his 11-day apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The new Maori Queen Kuini Nga wai hono i te po — who is Catholic — leaves the waka (canoe) following her father, Maori king Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, on Sept. 5, 2024, in Hamilton, New Zealand. / Credit: Phil Walter/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Sep 7, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Maori people, the Indigenous population of mainland New Zealand, have crowned a new queen after the death of their king — and she’s Catholic.

King Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII died on Aug. 30 at the age of 69. His death came days after his 18th anniversary as king of the Kingitanga, also known as the Maori King Movement, founded in 1858 to unite the Maori under one sovereign. It is one of the longest-running political organizations in New Zealand. 

The late king’s youngest daughter, Nga Wai hono i te po, was named his successor at the age of 27. She made her first appearance as queen on Sept. 5 and took her place on the throne near her father’s coffin. 

Queen Nga Wai hono i te po is the second Maori queen. The first was her grandmother Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. 

According to CathNews New Zealand, it was Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu who asked that her granddaughter be baptized by the late Auxiliary Bishop Max Takuira Matthew Mariu of Hamilton, the first Maori Catholic bishop.

The late queen’s intention behind having her granddaughter baptized was not only to unite Maori tribes near the Waikato and Whanganui rivers but also to be a unification of faiths, bridging the Kingitanga movement and the Catholic Church.

The new queen’s name, Ngawai Hono ki Parakino, which translates to “Joining of the Rivers” in Maori, was inspired by the symbolism of her baptism.

Queen Ngawai Hono ki Parakino becomes the eighth Maori monarch and continues the direct lineage from the first Maori king. 

Pope Francis visits the Caritas Technical Secondary School in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sep 7, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis called on Catholics in Papua New Guinea on Saturday to continue in their efforts of bringing the Gospel to the most marginalized and remote communities within the country.

During a visit to the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Port Moresby on Sept. 7, the pope addressed bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, and catechists from across Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The pope was warmly welcomed by tribes from Hela Province, Central Province, and many of the island’s remote provinces. The crowd cheered: “God is good all the time. All the time God is good.”

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the pope. I am so excited that he is coming,” said Gertrude Apisai, a Catholic from New Ireland who now lives in Port Moresby.

Apisai, who often attends Sunday Mass at the Marian shrine, said that the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea is “very spiritual and always friendly.”

Cardinal John Ribat, the archbishop of Port Moresby and the country’s first cardinal, greeted the pope as he arrived at the shrine run by Salesian missionaries.

“I offer you a warm welcome to this beloved country. It is a beautiful land with 800 different languages and cultures and of thousands of tribes,” Bishop Otto Separy, the president of Papua New Guinea’s bishops’ conference, told Francis.

In his address, Pope Francis acknowledged the historical efforts of missionaries who arrived in Papua New Guinea in the 19th century, recognizing their perseverance in the face of initial failures and challenges.

“Missionaries arrived in this country at the middle of the 19th century, and the first steps of their ministry were not easy. Indeed, some attempts failed. However, they did not give up,” the pope said.

“With great faith, apostolic zeal, and many sacrifices, they continued to preach the Gospel and serve their brothers and sisters, starting again many times after having failed.”

Pope Francis praised testimonies of faith by saints and martyred missionaries depicted in the shrine’s stained-glass windows, including St. Peter Chanel, Blessed Father John Mazzucconi, Blessed Peter To Rot, St. John Paul II, St. Mary McKillop, and others.

Francis urged the Catholics present in the shrine to emulate the saints by bringing Christ to “the peripheries of this country.”

“I think of people belonging to the most deprived segments of urban populations, as well as those who live in the most remote and abandoned areas, where sometimes basic necessities are lacking. … The Church desires especially to be close to these brothers and sisters,” he added.

At the shrine, Pope Francis listened to testimonies from a priest, a catechist, a religious sister, and a lay delegate from Papua New Guinea to the Church’s Synod on Synodality.

Grace Wrakia, a single mother of three, attended the Vatican Synod assembly in October 2023 and will return to Rome next month for the second synod assembly. She told Pope Francis: “Many people say that synodality is a way of life in the Church here in Papua New Guinea. But as we continue to merge our Melanesian way of life with other ways and ideas, we risk losing this identity.”

“The method of conversation used at the synod gave me a voice to share the Melanesian beauty of communion and relational way of life. We in Papua New Guinea should develop and use more of such conversation methods so that the wisdom of time simple people ... may be heard, respected, and valued.”

Father Emmanuel Moku, a priest from the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, discovered his vocation later in life and was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 52.

“When I chose the priesthood over my cultural norms, I was ridiculed and rejected,” Moku said. 

“My clan expects a man to become a father and to work and feed his people. As a seminarian, I was therefore viewed as unfruitful,” Moku said.

The priest told the pope about overcoming obstacles to readily accept a priestly or religious vocation. “I believe my service as a priest is my contribution to building up the kingdom of God here on earth.”

Sister Lorena Jenal described the challenging pastoral work with people accused of sorcery or witchcraft.

Pope Francis thanked the speakers for sharing their testimonies and made light of technical difficulties during his speech, quipping: “Let’s hope the pastoral work functions better than the microphones!” At the same time, he emphasized patience, closeness, and tenderness as central elements in spreading the Gospel, concluding with a reminder to “not forget God’s style.”

“Let us continue, therefore, to evangelize patiently, without allowing ourselves to be discouraged by difficulties or misunderstandings, even when they arise in places where we especially do not want to encounter them: in the family, for example, as we have heard,” Francis said.

Earlier in the day, the pope visited the Caritas Technical Secondary School in Port Moresby, where he met with around 100 children and individuals with disabilities who benefit from the services of a Catholic Street ministry and Callan Services, a significant provider for people with disabilities in Papua New Guinea.

Pope Francis told the children: “To give love, always, and to welcome with open arms the love we receive from the people we care about: This is the most beautiful and most important thing in our life, in any condition and for any person... even for the pope! Our joy does not depend on anything else: Our joy depends on love!”

null / Credit: szefei/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Sep 7, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In a dating culture that consists of swiping through photos of potential dates on a smartphone, one Catholic dating app is working to create a space where individuals can create genuine connections online. Candid Dating, launched in January, is a virtual speed-dating site for single Catholics.

Taylor O’Brien, CEO and co-founder of the site, had the idea to create the platform when things started opening back up after the COVID-19 pandemic. She felt a deep desire to form Catholic friendships and began to host meetups in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for young Catholic women to foster fellowship.

A topic of conversation that kept coming up among the women was dating and the struggle to find available Catholic men. O’Brien, who was newly single at the time after ending an engagement, began to think about this topic. She continued to host these meetups and shared the information for them on her Instagram page. Soon enough, men started to find her events and began reaching out saying they wanted to meet Catholic women, too. 

“From a bird’s-eye view I was able to really look and see — the men are there, the women are there, everyone’s just missing each other,” O’Brien explained to CNA in an interview.

O’Brien decided to get all these single Catholics together for an in-person event. She posted a Google doc on her Instagram for people to register to attend. Thinking she would maybe have 50 singles sign up, in less than 48 hours 400 people signed up. With the help of a friend, she hand-matched individuals based on different demographics and interests and held an in-person event. It was then that she realized this could be something even bigger, so she spent the next two years putting together a team and creating what is now the Candid Dating platform.

“Candid is a Catholic speed-dating platform exclusively for Catholics,” O’Brien explained. “We have no profiles, no swiping, and users create an account and during their account creation, they just answer a series of onboarding questions like age, interest, location, just a little bit about them, and then once their account is approved, our algorithm does its thing.”

The algorithm works to send individuals a list of virtual events that pertain to them based on their specific interests and location. Once they sign up for an event, they meet five to seven men or women for five to seven minutes at a time. At the end of the conversation, they are sent one question: “Do you want to continue the conversation? Yes or No.” If the pair both say “yes,” they will receive a notification saying that they matched and can message each other and exchange further contact information.

In addition to the current dating culture’s habit of swiping left or right on people based on their physical appearance, O’Brien pointed out that “we’ve lost the art of conversation.”

“What I love about what Candid does is it forces you to be able to have a conversation with someone, even if you know, maybe like after minute 2, that this may not be the best match,” she said, adding: “How are you able to then spend the next five minutes? Are you able to receive the person who’s sitting across from you? Are you able to give them the gifts that God has given you? How can we really share in communion as brothers and sisters in Christ knowing that maybe you’re not my person … but I don’t have control over that outcome and I should be able to just sit and enjoy my brother or sister in Christ.”

O’Brien shared that her goal with Candid Dating is to “rewire the way we think about dating and undo some of those wires that have been crossed in the swiping culture.” 

“Swiping culture has done such a disservice especially as Catholics in the way that we look at dating. We start to objectify,” she emphasized. “The same motion that we use to shop for groceries or a pair of jeans in the swiping is the same thing that we’re doing to human beings.”

She added: “I think whenever we’re out there in the secular world and we see the way dating is going, sometimes we feel like maybe it’s just better if I sit this out for a while. So I think that a lot of people are getting discouraged in that way.”

“So my prayer and my goal with Candid would be that it would just help us rethink and be a little bit more intentional about the way that we’re approaching dating as a whole.”

For those who might be hesitant to take part in something like this dating approach or desire to meet their future spouse in person rather than online, O’Brien encouraged those people to “release a little bit of that control.”

“We always like to pretend like we know exactly the way that we’re going to meet someone until we actually meet them in a way that God surprises us and then all of that went out the window and we don’t even care because we’re just so happy that we met the person we’re supposed to be with,” she said. 

Has the platform had any success stories yet? 

O’Brien shared a message she received from a user hours before speaking to CNA. It read: “Hi, I participated in one of your events on April 11 and as a result I’ve got the best girlfriend a guy could ask for. I love her dearly and you all have my deepest appreciation. Thank you.”

This is not the first such message O’Brien has received, she said, but each one leaves her “blown away” and amazed at how “the Lord has really provided each next step for us.”

Sabeen Rahil and Elias Johny Al Arja in Bethlehem. In the background behind them is the bell tower of the Church of the Nativity, which stands on the site where Jesus was born. / Credit: Marinella Bandini

Jerusalem, Sep 7, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

On Aug. 3, Sabeen Rahil and Elias Johny Al Arja, two young Christians from Bethlehem, were officially engaged. According to ancient tradition there, engagements are a public act and already bind the future spouses together with a priest’s blessing and the exchange of rings. 

The couple will marry next year and have decided to begin their life together and raise their children in Bethlehem, despite the prolonged war in Gaza, the severe impact of the war on the local economy, and the escalation of violence in the region.

The couple told CNA that their decision is deeply rooted in their Christian faith and their desire to encourage other Christians to do the same in order to build a new society where Christians feel fully at home in the city where Jesus was born.

“Hopefully, by getting married, starting a family, and having children, we can inspire other Christians, perhaps [even] our [own] brothers and sisters, to do the same,” Rahil said. “We hope to start a new generation of people who will fight to stay in Bethlehem.”

Rahil, 24, was born in Bethlehem, holds a bachelor’s degree in audiology and speech therapy, and works with her father. Al Arja, also 24, was born and raised in Beit Jala (close to Bethlehem), has a bachelor’s degree in business, and is now managing his family’s hotel.

The couple is building an apartment above Al Arja parents’ home — tradition dictates that the man provides the home for the new family.

“We decided to get engaged because no matter what’s going on around us or what will happen, we want to be happy, we want to be together,” Al Arja told CNA during an interview at Cascada restaurant, which is owned by the Rahil family, the place of their first date.

“It was a difficult decision because of the ongoing war. We considered postponing the engagement, but in the end, we saw no reason to. We have faith that this country will find peace someday,” he explained. 

The couple met in 2020 through the “Leo Club,” the youth branch of the Lions Club founded in Bethlehem that very year. The organization promotes events and fundraising activities to support charitable works and people in need. Both were members of the board. 

“We worked together; we started to get to know each other more and became interested in each other,” Rahil recounted.

After a couple of years of dating, the couple decided to make their relationship official. On Sept. 3, 2023, following local tradition, the two families met and Al Arja formally asked Rahil’s father for permission to date her with the intention of getting engaged and married.

The date was chosen carefully and also with some trepidation, as just a few days later, Rahil left for Belgium, where she lived for a year to pursue her master’s degree in management.

She shared her feelings about the decision with CNA: “I was going to leave, but I still decided to make our relationship official. I felt that I wouldn’t find anyone else with his qualities, and that’s what I wanted. That’s why I was ready to take this step.” 

Living in a long-distance relationship, she added, “wasn’t easy, but it was worth it: It made our relationship stronger and our love more powerful.”

When Rahil left, the sky was clear, but just a month later, the clouds of war darkened both the sky and their thoughts.

“After the war started, we talked about living abroad,” Rahil said. “These thoughts came to our minds often.”

“We began to wonder: What if it takes a long time to end the war?” Al Arja added. “What if the war spreads to Bethlehem? What should we do? We also think about our future children.” 

Together, they made the decision to get officially engaged but also to remain in their homeland.

“After Oct. 7, many Christians left the country because they were afraid of what might happen and concerned about their children’s future,” Al Arja said. “We told each other that there’s no better place to live than where Jesus was born.”

He continued: “I’m going to build a house… If the war comes to Bethlehem, we would have to leave everything behind, but for now, we can still manage to live here. Our families are here, and I want my children to be born here, to live here, to know their grandparents, and to experience my childhood.”

The engagement ceremony was held on Aug. 3, when tensions spiked again after Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

In accordance with tradition, Al Arja brought a gold necklace, earrings, and a bracelet for Rahid in addition to the rings. The engaged couple, along with their parents and close relatives, appeared before a Greek-Orthodox priest, as Al Arja is a member of that church and the tradition is to follow the man’s religious affiliation.

The priest blessed them, then took the rings and prayed over them. 

“He took my ring, prayed over it, and let Rahil kiss it. Then she placed it on my finger. I did the same with her ring. After that, the priest said something like ‘You’re bound together.’” Then the party began.

The couple deeply feel their Christian identity and the responsibility of being Christians in the Holy Land. This identity is reflected in their decision to get married and remain in Bethlehem.

“Jesus was born here; it needs to remain a Christian place,” Rahil said. “We hope to support the community by raising a new generation of people who will stay here and believe that this city is for us, for Christians — not exclusively, but it is a city for Christians.”

The exodus of Christians deeply grieves Rahil: “It’s very sad; it shouldn’t be this way.”

She recounted the moment she realized how special Bethlehem is: “I’ve been living here for 23 years, but I didn’t really appreciate it as much as I should have. When I was in Brussels, and people learned that I was a Christian from Bethlehem, they began telling me about their relatives who came here just to visit the Church of the Nativity. Seeing how others view my city truly enlightened me about how special it is.”

Al Arja, who works in the tourism sector, is reinventing his job to cope with the economic crisis, which has also affected the West Bank due to the war.

“I’m putting everything in God’s hands,” he said. “I’m working a little and managed to save some money before the war. It’s not easy. Bethlehem depends on tourism for 90%. Most of the hotels and souvenir shops are owned by Christians, and many of them haven’t had any income for 11 months.”

“Anyway, it’s very difficult for me to understand why Christian people are fleeing Bethlehem,” Al Arja continued. “Maybe they find a better life outside this country, but we are in a blessed city. God sent his only Son to be born here.” 

In the end, Rahil concluded, “this is the city where Jesus was born. It’s the city of peace and love, and there’s no better place to live.”

A man stands in front of a poster of Pope Francis outside APEC Haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to welcome the Roman pontiff, Sept. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sep 6, 2024 / 23:38 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis began his historic visit to Papua New Guinea on Saturday (local time) with a call for stewardship of the nation’s rich natural resources and a plea for peace amid ongoing tribal conflicts.

The pope was welcomed to the capital city of Port Moresby on Sept. 7 by the beating drums of one of the country’s 300 Indigenous tribes, who performed a traditional dance in feathered hats and grass skirts.

Papua New Guinea, home to more than 800 Indigenous languages, is renowned for its cultural and linguistic diversity. Despite its abundant natural resources, including minerals, timber, oil, and gas, it remains one of the world’s poorest nations, with around 85% of its population dependent on subsistence farming and less than a fifth of its citizens having access to electricity.

Addressing Papua New Guinea’s political officials and dignitaries gathered at the APEC Haus, the pope emphasized the need for equitable development and responsible use of the nation’s natural resources.

“Your country, besides consisting of islands and languages, is also rich in natural resources.  These goods are destined by God for the entire community,” Francis said.

“It is only right that the needs of local people are given due consideration when distributing the proceeds and employing workers in order to improve their living conditions.”

The disparity between the country’s wealth and living conditions is evident in Port Moresby, where many poorer residents live in makeshift shelters made of scrap wood and plastic tarps. 

Political instability and corruption further complicate the country’s economic development. Pope Francis underlined that “increasing institutional stability and building consensus on fundamental choices is a prerequisite for integral and fair development.”

In a country that has struggled with tribal conflicts throughout its history, the pope also made a heartfelt appeal for peace. Earlier this year, 26 people were killed in a gunfight in Papua New Guinea’s Enga Province, a region that has been plagued by violence between tribal groups.

“It is my particular hope that tribal violence will come to an end, for it causes many victims, prevents people from living in peace, and hinders development,” Pope Francis said. “I appeal, therefore, to everyone’s sense of responsibility to stop the spiral of violence.”

The pope also marveled at Papua New Guinea’s linguistic and cultural diversity in the Pacific archipelago. “This points to an extraordinary cultural richness,” he remarked. “I imagine that this enormous variety is a challenge for the Holy Spirit, who creates harmony amid differences!”

Papua New Guinea’s governor general, Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, told the pope that many people traveled far distances to be present for his visit.

“As you bless our land with your presence, we are filled with profound gratitude and humility as can be seen by the magnitude of pilgrimage to the city just to get a glimpse of Your Holiness,” Dadae said.

The Catholic Church plays a crucial role in Papua New Guinea, making up about 30% of the population. The Church is deeply involved in education, with over 3,000 Catholic schools serving nearly 340,000 students nationwide.

Pope Francis joked that the simple motto for his apostolic journey to Papua New Guinea — “Pray” — might surprise “some who are overly concerned with ‘political correctness.’”

“If so, they are mistaken, because a people that prays has a future, drawing strength and hope from above,” he said.

At the end of the meeting with the authorities, Pope Francis briefly greeted a number of dignitaries from government, civil society, and the Diplomatic Corps in Papua New Guinea and leaders from various Pacific countries and organizations, including the prime minister of Vanuatu, the president of Nauru, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, and the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

A historic visit 

The pope’s visit marks only the third time a pontiff has set foot in Papua New Guinea. St. John Paul II visited the country twice, in 1984 and 1995. 

Reporting from the island nation north of Australia, EWTN Polska’s Magdalena Wolinska-Riedi noted on “EWTN News Nightly” the historical significance of the Catholic Church’s presence in Papua New Guinea: “After the celebration of the first holy Mass on July the Fourth, 1885, several missions were established in the small country, reaching people living in remote and dispersed areas.”

Despite many improvements, Papua New Guinea continues to face challenges. Earlier this year, the government declared a state of emergency following the Jan. 10 “Black Wednesday” riots, which killed more than a dozen people and injured hundreds more. 

Pope Francis is scheduled to continue his visit with a public Mass, a meeting with local Catholic charities that serve the poor in Port Moresby, and a brief trip into a remote jungle outpost of Vanimo where Argentine missionaries serve the local Indigenous peoples. He will then travel to East Timor on Monday before concluding his apostolic journey in Singapore.

Watch the full report by Magdalena Wolinska-Riedi on “EWTN News Nightly” here:

The population of Papua New Guinea is currently 30% Catholic, with growth at a rate of 40,000 baptized each year. / Credit: Pontifical Mission Society of Spain

Madrid, Spain, Sep 6, 2024 / 16:00 pm (CNA).

The bishop of Kundinawa in Papua New Guinea, Paul Sundu, said that of the 300,000 people expected to see Pope Francis this weekend, “many walked two or three weeks before the papal visit” from all the dioceses of the island country.

Some even came from the Solomon Islands, about 885 miles to the east in the South Pacific. 

The Holy Father arrived Friday for a three-day visit to Papua New Guinea, his second stop on a 12-day apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania.

In a statement released by the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain, Sundu predicted that the Holy Father’s days in the country “will be a blessing that cannot be forgotten. The presence of the pope will definitely give us more joy and courage to continue our mission.”

Papua New Guinea is one of the 1,126 mission territories of the Catholic Church, whose first evangelizers arrived there in 1889. Today, its population is 30% Catholic, a percentage that increases at a rate of 40,000 baptized each year.

In this Oceania nation, 19 dioceses have been established in which 600 priests work in 400 parishes and serve more than 800 social institutions such as orphanages, hospitals, or leprosariums. In addition, the Catholic Church has nearly 3,500 schools in the area, according to data provided by the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain.

For the director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Papua New Guinea, Father Victor Rocha, “the impact of this visit will be seen especially in the faith of the people” in a parish whose commitment is evident because the churches “are full every Sunday; about 70%-80% of the baptized attend Mass.”

To sustain this territory, considered 100% missionary, the help of the Pontifical Mission Societies is essential, and it has allocated more than $7 million in the last five years, mostly from the collection for World Mission Day.

This money is invested in covering current expenses and in building houses and parishes, providing transportation and drinking water, and setting up diocesan radio stations along with supporting charitable works and the four major seminaries in which 104 candidates for the priesthood are in formation.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Socorro Vázquez (left) together with Indonesian friends prior to attending a papal Mass in Jakarta, Indonesia. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Socorro Vázquez

Madrid, Spain, Sep 6, 2024 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

Socorro Vázquez, a 27-year-old Catholic from Seville, Spain, shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, about her experience of Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia and her experience of faith in Jakarta, where she has come because of her work for a year and where the values ​​of Islam “are in the air with every step you take.”

The young Spanish woman, who has always been “very excited” to live abroad, was assigned Jakarta as her destination after applying for the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade Scholarship Program.

For Vázquez, who will return to Spain in December, the visit of the Holy Father this past week “has been a real gift and totally unexpected at the time when I had to choose a destination.”

In Jakarta, the young woman said, “the practices and values ​​of Islam are felt at every step you take. This makes the culture shock for a Spaniard more pronounced and, at times, the context reminds you that you are far from home and your loved ones.”

Although she grew up in a Catholic environment, she said, that “living abroad has made me question my beliefs and, curiously, has also made me reaffirm them.”

Being Catholic in the world’s largest Muslim country

Living in the world’s largest Muslim country, Vázquez pointed out, means “being Catholic these days, wherever you are, is not easy. And what I mean by this is that, on many occasions, it means swimming against the current.”

In the case of Indonesia, where nearly 200 million Muslims live, she remarked that “the tolerance between religions is admirable, the sense of community that surrounds all practices of faith, regardless of religion, and the naturalness with which they affirm they are believers.”

In fact, she said that “not believing in a God here is inappropriate. It is a highly spiritual country and that is evident in the people and their values.”

Although Jakarta is “dotted with mosques,” she said, she is grateful that there is a Catholic church near her office and another one very close to where she lives.

“Both have Mass in English on Sundays and they are always full. In that sense, the truth is that I’ve had it very easy,” she commented.

A visit ‘very much appreciated’ by Catholics

The young Spanish woman had the opportunity to go to the heavily attended closing Mass that Pope Francis celebrated at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium on Sept. 5.

“I was very moved to see an entire stadium with 100,000 people singing and vibrating with joy. People came from many parts of the country with their traditional attire. It was the mixture of the diversity of peoples that characterizes Indonesia, united by the same faith,” she related.

She explained that in a country like Indonesia, “being present in person is very important, both in the business field and in any other context.”

“I think that, in this sense, the pope’s visit will be highly appreciated by Catholics in the country and has shown that, despite being a minority, they have filled an entire stadium and had waiting lists,” she emphasized.

Vázquez also pointed out that Indonesian Catholics “tend to relate to the parish community to which they belong and with the visit of Pope Francis, a much greater sense of community has been created.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

This year the complete translation into Tzotzil, spoken by approximately 350,000 people, has been achieved. / Credit: Freepik

Puebla, Mexico, Sep 6, 2024 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

In September — the month the Catholic Church especially dedicates to the Bible — Mexico, a country with rich linguistic diversity, stands out for its efforts to translate the holy Scriptures into various Indigenous languages.

According to official data, Mexico has 69 national languages ​​— 68 Indigenous and Spanish — which places it “among the top 10 nations with the most native languages ​​and occupies second place with this characteristic in Latin America after Brazil.”

Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, the bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas state, has led the Mexican bishops’ initiatives to bring the word of God to Indigenous communities. In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the cardinal stated that the Bibles that have been translated are mainly found in communities in the Chiapas highlands.

Arizmendi said that since the first translation in 2003 into Tzeltal, a language spoken by more than half a million people, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference has facilitated the complete translation of the Bible in 2015 into the Tzotzil spoken in the Zinacantán area and of the New Testament into the Tzotzil spoken in the Huixtán region, both in Chiapas.

The prelate said that this year the complete translation into the Tzotzil of the San Juan Chamula area, “spoken by approximately 350,000 people,” has been achieved.

The ecumenical translation of the deuterocanonical books has also been made into Ch’ol, in collaboration with the Bible Societies.

Despite this progress and the fact that there are partial translations made by local priests, the cardinal pointed out that many of these “have not been presented for approval by the bishops’ conference.”

For example, he said that Nahuatl, the most widely spoken Indigenous language in Mexico “with almost 2 million speakers,” has at least six Protestant versions of the Bible, but “there is no Catholic [version]” available.

“For centuries, Catholics gave more importance to liturgical celebrations than concern that the word of God reach these marginalized languages,” the prelate noted.

Translation challenges

Arizmendi explained that one of the greatest challenges in this process is that “many biblical words are difficult to translate into any language.” In the case of Indigenous languages, this is even more complicated, since “one must know the original culture well to find a way for the translation to be faithful to the biblical text and to the local culture.”

For example, the expression “‘the Word became flesh,’ which is an inexplicable mystery in itself, must be translated in such a way that the content is expressed in terms specific to the Indigenous culture,” he noted. The same occurs with other terms, such as “baptism, priest, virgin, Eucharist, bishop, deacon, sin, salvation, etc.,” the cardinal added.

Despite these challenges, Arizmendi emphasized that both the translations already approved and the local versions made in different languages ​​have been “very well received by their speakers.” 

Those who speak these languages ​​“feel recognized by the Church and that their culture has value,” which, he added, “has helped them to have more self-confidence and feel that the Church takes them into account.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C., is the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. / Credit: Rob Crandall, Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 6, 2024 / 13:15 pm (CNA).

The Georgetown University Police Department is investigating two “potential hate crimes” after a processional crucifix was found damaged inside the university’s chapel and a statue of the Blessed Mother was found to be displaced and on the ground.

“We are currently investigating them as potential hate crimes,” Vice President for Mission and Ministry Father Mark Bosco and Associate Vice President of Public Safety Jay Gruber wrote in a jointly signed letter sent out to Georgetown staff and students.

“Anti-Catholic acts and desecration of religious symbols are deeply concerning, hurtful, and offensive,” the letter read. “Acts of vandalism, especially of sacred spaces, have no place in our campus community.”

Georgetown University, established in 1789 and located in Washington, D.C., is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States.

According to the letter, Georgetown University police received a report on Friday, Aug. 30, that the large processional crucifix in the Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart was “inappropriately moved and sustained damage after being placed against the door.” Later that morning, staff found that “the statue of the Blessed Mother by the Heyden Observatory and Gardens was displaced and on the ground.”

The university does not know the identity or “motivation of the person or persons responsible,” according to the letter, and does not know whether anyone involved is associated with the university.

After reviewing video surveillance, the police department identified “a light-complexioned male wearing a dark-colored hoodie and dark-colored pants entering Dahlgren Chapel around 11:40 p.m.” the night before, the letter states. However, it adds that the university does not know whether “these incidents are related.” Police are investigating whether “these incidents are related to other reported irregularities at these sites in recent weeks,” the letter said.

When reached by CNA to ask whether there have been any updates to the investigation, a spokesperson for the university referred CNA back to the original letter. The Georgetown University Police Department referred CNA to the university’s communications office.

The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Dahlgren Chapel provides a spiritual home for our Catholic community and a welcoming place for reflection and prayer for all members of our community,” the letter read. “In this sacred space, generations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni have attended Mass, exchanged sacred vows at weddings, found reconciliation in confessions, were baptized into the faith, or simply reflected in a quiet moment to re-center their lives.”

According to the letter, all services at the Dahlgren Chapel would continue as normal and police are increasing patrols of religious spaces on campus. The letter also asks anyone who can assist in the investigation to contact the Georgetown police through the phone at 202-687-4343 or through email at police@georgetown.edu.

This is a developing story.