Pope Francis Urges Unity in Papua New Guinea Visit

Pope Francis began his official tour of Papua New Guinea, meeting and greeting with local and Pacific leaders and calling for unity and better treatment of workers.

In a speech to political authorities in the country, which is home to hundreds of tribal groups and more than 800 spoken languages, the 87-year-old Catholic pontiff made a heartfelt appeal for an end to a spate of ethnic violence that has killed dozens in recent months.

The pope, visiting as part of an ambitious 12-day trip to four countries, said Papua New Guinea's natural resources were "destined by God" for the whole community.

Papua New Guinea contains some of the largest known gold deposits and is also a major exporter of natural gas and oil. The government, led by Prime Minister James Marape since 2019, has sought to boost local benefits from projects undertaken by international conglomerates such as Exxon Mobil Corp and Newcrest Mining.

“These environmental and cultural treasures represent at the same time a great responsibility, because they require everyone, civil authorities and all citizens, to promote initiatives that develop natural and human resources in a sustainable and equitable manner. A manner that improves the wellbeing of all, excluding nobody, through concrete programmes, international cooperation, mutual respect and agreements beneficial to all parties," Pope Francis said.

He called for a "definitive solution" to the status of Bougainville Island, the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. Currently an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, the island voted overwhelmingly for independence in 2019. But years of political deadlock in Papua New Guinea's parliament have stalled the vote's ratification.

The Pontiff also met with various leaders from the Pacific, including Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and the President of Nauru, David Adeang.