Papal Mass in Papua New Guinea: ‘Open yourselves to the joy of the Gospel’
September 09, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: On September 8—the second full day of his visit to Papua New Guinea—Pope Francis met with Prime Minister James Marape, presided at Mass in the nation’s capital (Port Moresby), and delivered his Sunday Angelus address.
The Pope then flew to the remote Diocese of Vanimo, where he addressed the faithful and met privately with missionaries.
“Courage, people of Papua New Guinea, do not be afraid,” the Pope preached at the Mass. “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.”
“One cannot help but be amazed by the colors, sounds and scents, as well as the grandiose spectacle of nature bursting forth with life, all evoking the image of Eden,” the Pope said in Vanimo.
The Pope called on the faithful there “to overcome divisions—personal, family and tribal—to drive out fear, superstition and magic from people’s hearts, to put an end to destructive behaviors such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse, evils which imprison and take away the happiness of so many of our brothers and sisters, even in this country.”
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