Date of official visit by 87-year-old Pope Francis to PNG is yet to be confirmed

The date of the visit by the head of the Roman Catholic Church to Papua New Guinea will be confirmed later this month.

Pope Francis, PNG visit was penned down in 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement globally.    

Prime Minister James Marape says he is very pleased to meet with an advance team from the Vatican City to discuss proposed arrangements and the date for the forthcoming visit by the Pope, to Papua New Guinea this year.

The advance team was led by Monsignor George Koovakad, who this week held preliminary discussions with Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko to map out a plan for this proposed visit.

The date of the visit will be confirmed after a second visit by the team in June.

PNG has approximately two million Catholics, making up nearly 27 percent of the country's total population.

The Papal visit is a State Visit and will be guided by strict Vatican protocols and security arrangements. This will include taking into consideration the Pope's advanced age at 87 years and his health condition, including his special needs with being wheelchair-bound.

The late Pope John Paul II visited PNG twice in 1984 and 1995, becoming the first head of the Roman Catholic Church to visit the country.

Prime Minister Marape expressed his appreciation that the Holy Father is visiting PNG on the eve of the country's 49th Independence anniversary.

Prime Minister Marape said the National Government is happy and ready to welcome him and "make the visit a success".

It will be the 87-year-old Pontiff's first visit to the country and the Oceania region.