Pope’s Program

The high point of the Pope’s historic visit to Port Moresby will be his arrival at Mt Hagen where a crowd of at least 100,000 is expected to turn out in welcome. Originally he was to stay only in the Port Moresby area but, Archbishop Peter Kurongku insisted that the Highlands had to be included. Port Moresby has a Catholic population of about 40,000, but in the Highlands there are at least 700,000.

Months of work by Catholic administrators and church members have produced everything from travel plans arranged down to the last minute for the Pope, and all who want to see him, through official greeting lines, to stacks of T-shirts emblazoned with the message; ’’John Paul ll,mi laikim yu.”

The itinerary and arrangements are as follows-

Monday, May 7:

The Pope arrives aboard a special Italian jet airliner, due into Port Moresby’s Jackson airport at 5 pm. The official party to greet him will include the Governor- General, Sir Kingsford Dibela, the prime minister, Mr Somare, the Archbishop and other church and official dignitaries.

From the airport the Pope will be driven to the Stadium where he will celebrate Mass in the open air at 6 pm. He will leave the Stadium for the papal nunciature at 8.15 pm.

Tuesday, May 8:

At 8 am, the Pope flies from Jackson Airport to Mt Hagen, arriving at Kagamuga Airport at 9 am. He will be driven in a motorcade to the Old Golf Course where the

faithful from five Highland provinces will be gathered for open-air Mass and the Papal blessing.

The Mass is due to end at 12.15 pm. when the Pope will leave for Port Moresby, arriving at the nunciature at 1.45 pm.

At 3.45 pm he will conduct a liturgy, including a blessing of the sick, at St Joseph’s Parish, Boroko. This will be particularly significant for Father Adrian Meaney, the archdiocesan tour co-ordinator, for Boroko is his parish.

At 4.30 pm. he will meet the bishops of Papua New Guinea for 30 minutes and then go to St Mary’s Cathedral where, at 5.15 pm he will celebrate a Liturgy of the Word with bishops, priests, brothers, nuns and laity.

At 6.30 pm Pope John Paul will call on Sir Kingsford and Lady Dibela at their Residence where a large selection of dignitaries, community and business leaders will be assembled.

At 7.15 pm he will return to the nunciature for dinner with the bishops.

Wednesday, May 9:

At 8 am the Pope will leave Jackson Airport for Honiara in Solomon Islands where he will meet civic leaders, visit the prison, and celebrate an open-air Mass. He will return to Port Moresby at 8.50 pm.

Thursday, May 10:

The Pope will depart from Jackson Airport aboard his special Alitalia jet and fly to Bangkok, the final destination of his journey out of the Vatican.