The Pope will visit Papua New Guinea in August, the Foreign Minister of the Oceania country announced today.
The Papuan government has received an "official note that Pope Francis" will be here for three days, Justin Tkatchenko said.
"We are working in close cooperation with the office of the Apostolic Nuncio. A team has been assembled and will meet to review all aspects of the visit," added Tkatchenko.
The announcement comes just two weeks after the Papuan capital Port Moresby was rocked by deadly riots.
The pontiff is expected to visit Port Moresby and one of the two coastal cities in the north of the country.
Papua New Guinea is home to more than nine million Christians - almost all of the population - although most Papuans are Protestant and retain many traditional animist or spiritual beliefs.
The last papal visit to the country dates back to 1995, when John Paul II met tribal dancers adorned with exotic bird feathers, grass skirts and loincloths.
A papal visit was planned for 2020, but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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