Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku and wife, Lady Fiona greeted His Holiness, Pope Francis in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Saturday, 7 September. “An amazing experience!! Asked His Holiness to bless Tonga and in return he asked for our prayers,” Hon. Hu'akavameiliku stated on social media.

The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, arrived in Papua New Guinea on Friday, 6 September, for a four-day visit as part of his 11-day Apostolic Visit to Asia and Oceania, and marking the start of his first ever visit to Oceania. His journey to PNG is the furthest country from Rome that he has visited as Pope.

PM Hon. Hu'akavameiliku and a few Pacific leaders, including Nauru's President H.E David Adeang, Vanuatu's Prime Minister Hon. Charlot Salwai, and Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa, were invited to PNG to greet the Pope by PNG Prime Minsiter, James Marape during the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting in Tonga recently.

Joining the Tonga delegation was the Minister for Infrastructure Hon. Sevenitini Toumo'ua and his wife.

On Sunday, the Pope celebrated a Mass in Port Moresby, which was attended by at least 35,000 people, including the Bishop of Tonga and Niue, His Eminence Soane Patita Paini Cardinal Mafi.

Pope Francis departed PNG yesterday, and continues his visit to East Timor Leste, then Singapore, before returning to Rome.

The first Pope to visit the Pacific was Pope John Paul II who visited Fiji and Papua New Guinea in 1984.