Pope urges church in Papua New Guinea to be close to women after hearing of sorcery ‘superstitions’

Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Pope Francis called Saturday for nan Catholic Church successful Papua New Guinea to beryllium peculiarly adjacent to women who person been abused and marginalized, speaking retired successful a state wherever unit against women is reported to beryllium much than doubly nan world average.

Francis heard first-hand astir nan plight of women during his first afloat time successful nan South Pacific nation. A nun told him of nan church’s activity caring for women who person been attacked and accused of witchcraft and sorcery, and past shunned by their families.

“I deliberation excessively of nan marginalized and wounded, some morally and physically, by prejudice and superstition sometimes to nan constituent of having to consequence their lives,” Francis said. He urged nan religion to beryllium peculiarly adjacent to specified group connected nan peripheries, pinch “closeness, compassion and tenderness.”

Women dressed successful accepted attire hold for nan presence of Pope Francis astatine Caritas Technical Secondary School successful Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

According to U.N. Women, 60% of Papua New Guinea’s women person knowledgeable beingness aliases intersexual unit from an friendly partner astatine immoderate clip successful their lives, double nan world average. Allegations of sorcery against women are common. Papua New Guinea classed 151 retired of 166 countries connected nan U.N. Development Program’s gender inequality scale successful 2022.

Francis amended his remarks passim nan time to see reference to women aft nan politician wide of Papua New Guinea, Bob Dadae, welcomed him to Papua New Guinea by calling for greater protection of women and respect for their rights.

Pope Francis hands a gift to a accepted dancer arsenic he arrives astatine APEC Haus successful Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

Women “are nan ones who transportation nan state forward, they springiness life, build and turn a country,” Francis said successful his first ad-libbed reside to governmental leaders and diplomats. “Let america not hide nan women who are connected nan beforehand statement of quality and belief development.”

In this operation image made from six photographs, Papua New Guineans invited Pope Frances successful accepted attire successful Port Moresby, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

Francis has denounced gender-based violence, appointed women to apical Vatican positions and called for women to person greater decision-making roles successful nan church, but he has still reaffirmed nan prohibition connected women’s ordination to nan priesthood.

It was an improvised first time of Francis’ visit, nan 2nd limb of a four-nation travel done Southeast Asia and Oceania that represents nan longest and astir challenging of his pontificate.

Dancers successful swishing writer skirts performed for Francis to nan thump-thump-thump of drums arsenic he presided complete a operation of governmental and religion business. In his opening remarks, he called for an extremity to nan tribal unit that has troubled nan state for decades and for equitable, sustainable extraction of its resources.

Pope Francis, left, pinch Cardinal Archbishop of Port Moresby John Ribat, right, be a accepted creation performed by nan pupil of nan Caritas Technical Secondary School successful Port Moresby, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Gregorio Borgia, Associated Press

Francis marveled astatine nan diverseness of Papua New Guinea’s group — location are immoderate 800 languages spoken present — saying their assortment must beryllium “a situation to nan Holy Spirit, who creates harmony amid differences!”

But he besides noted that specified diverseness has agelong created conflict, a reference to nan tribal unit complete onshore and different disputes that person agelong characterized nan country’s civilization but person grown much lethal successful caller years. Francis appealed for a consciousness of civic work and practice to prevail, to use everyone.

“It is my peculiar dream that tribal unit will travel to an end, for it causes galore victims, prevents group from surviving successful bid and hinders development,” he said.

People dressed successful accepted costume hold for nan presence of Pope Francis astatine Caritas Technical Secondary School successful Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

But nan rumor of women arsenic victims of unit and discrimination, including wrong nan church, punctuated Francis’ day, including erstwhile Francis met pinch section priests and nuns gathered astatine a Marian sanctuary.

Sister Lorena Jenal told Francis astir an organization, House of Hope, that provides shelter to women accused of witchcraft and sorcery and useful pinch organization leaders to effort to alteration attitudes astir women.

She told him astir 1 female who was astir burned to decease and was shunned by her family, but was yet welcomed backmost aft nan religion intervened.

A Catholic mother of three, Grace Wrakia, addressed nan gathering astir her acquisition being named to participate successful Francis’ large gathering successful Rome past twelvemonth connected nan early of nan Catholic Church, wherever women were fixed adjacent sound and a ballot for nan first clip successful Vatican conversations.

She said nan religion successful Papua New Guinea “should create and usage much of specified speech methods truthful that nan contented of nan elemental group successful our peripheries whitethorn beryllium heard, respected and valued.”

“I agelong to spot much men and women arsenic partners,” she said.

A nun pinch nan Sisters of Charity, Sister Genevie, was successful nan pews pinch different sisters and acknowledged nan problem of unit and favoritism was real.

“In our country, men, they still clasp onto leadership,” she told The Associated Press. “Mother Teresa told america to thief nan women.”

A female waits for nan presence of Pope Francis astatine Caritas Technical Secondary School successful Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

On his first day, Francis besides called for adjacent and environmentally sustainable extraction of Papua New Guinea’s immense earthy resources, which see gold, nickel and earthy gas.

Francis, who has written full encyclicals astir nan environment, has agelong insisted that improvement of earthy resources must use section people, not conscionable nan multinational companies that extract them.

“These biology and taste treasures correspond astatine nan aforesaid clip a awesome responsibility, because they require everyone, civilian authorities and each citizens, to beforehand initiatives that create earthy and quality resources successful a sustainable and equitable manner,” he said.

Papua New Guineans dressed successful accepted attire invited Pope Francis astatine Caritas Technical Secondary School successful Port Moresby. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

Finally, Francis called for a “definitive solution” to nan mobility of Bougainville, an land region whose group voted overwhelmingly to go independent from Papua New Guinea successful 2019. The result of nan nonbinding referendum has not been implemented.

Despite nan rigors of nan travel and pitchy lag — Papua New Guinea is 8 hours up of Rome clip — nan 87-year-old Francis appeared successful comparatively bully form, though he coughed passim nan day. He smiled and laughed arsenic he handed retired candies to young children who had performed for him, and moreover took a move playing a kundu drum, a accepted hand-held hourglass-shaped drum that 1 group of children gave him.

He was warmly welcomed by crowds extracurricular astatine each of his stops, pinch group young and aged dressed successful accepted writer skirts, look overgarment and headdresses dancing and singing. And respective South Pacific leaders came to Port Moresby for nan uncommon chance to shake hands nan pope, including nan premier curate of Vanuatu, nan president of Nauru and nan premier curate of Tonga.

Francis is nan 2nd pope to sojourn Papua New Guinea, aft St. John Paul II visited first successful 1984, past successful 1995 to beatify Peter To Rot, a Catholic layman who was declared a martyr for nan religion aft he died successful situation during World War II.

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A accepted dancer waits for nan presence of Pope Francis astatine APEC Haus successful Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Mark Baker, Associated Press