Pope Francis arrived in Papua New Guinea on Friday for the second leg of his four-nation trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania, becoming the second pope to visit the poor, strategically important South Pacific nation. (AP Video / Sept. 6, 2024)
By Nicole Winfield The Associated Press
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Pope Francis called Saturday for the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea to be particularly close to women who have been abused and marginalized, speaking out in a country where violence against women is reported to be more than twice the global average.
Francis heard first-hand about the plight of women during his first full day in the South Pacific nation. A nun told him of the church’s work caring for women who have been attacked and accused of witchcraft and sorcery, and then shunned by their families.
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