Rome Newsroom, 06 September, 2024 / 2:45 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis touched down in Papua New Guinea on Friday, the second country of his 12-day apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania, following emerging reports of a failed attempt on his life during his Indonesia visit.
Landing in Jacksons International Airport in the country’s capital, Port Moresby, in the evening (local time) of Sept. 6 after a six-hour flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, the pope was greeted on the tarmac by women belonging to the Mekeo tribe wearing traditional dress.
Following the guard of honor, Papua New Guinea Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso and other civil dignitaries officially welcomed Pope Francis — the second pope to visit the Oceania nation — in a formal ceremony at the airport.
After being greeted by Cardinal John Ribat, archbishop of Port Moresby, and representatives of the Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the Holy Father was also welcomed to the Oceania region by prelates from Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand.