One of Pope Francis’ most powerful messages in Papua New Guinea, according to Cardinal John Ribat, Archbishop of Port Moresby, was the one he deli-vered to young people on Septe-mber 09. It was plain to see that the Pope engaged in a personal connection with the 10,000 young people gathered in the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, as he set aside his prepared text and spoke to them from the heart. Speaking to Vatican News’ Del-phine Allaire after the Pope had left the island nation, Cardinal Ribat noted that the Holy Fa-ther encouraged young Papuans to stand up when they fall and to help others who have also fallen.
“That was a powerful messa-ge for the youth,” he said, “to help one another, not just seek help from outside, but also from within themselves, and to rise together.” “He also gave them another message,” the Cardinal continued. “They need to stay connected with their grand-parents.” The Cardinal explained that, as he often does, Pope Francis highlighted the invaluable riches that come from our grand-parents– “values and culture that now, with so many modern influences, we risk disconnecting from.” The internet and social media can never provide those values, added the Cardinal.
Turning to the Pope’s off-the-cuff remarks to civil autho-rities on the rights of women, Cardinal Ribat noted that the culture of Papua New Guinea is male-dominated and “emphasises men, looking down on women.” Women are not respected or promoted for their contributions to society, said the Cardinal, add-ing that this “often leads to vio-lence against them.”
“But women are the ones who are committed; they are the great builders of society,” he continued, noting that the Pope’s words recognise and promote this fact. “Women should be respected, loved, and promoted. They, too, need to live their lives freely, just as men do, but in a responsible and positive way,” he said.
He acknowledged that every encounter had a specific message, and that at the heart of the Pope’s visit to Papua New Guinea was a message of hope, love, and faith. For the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, this visit offered a great encouragement to be united and to work together, said the Cardinal. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Papua New Guinea, concluded Cardinal Ribat, underscores the unity of the Church, no matter how physically distant its members may be.