Grand Chief Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae GCL, GCMG, KStJ, Governor General of Papua New Guinea, has issued a welcome message on behalf of the nation to His Holiness Pope Francis who will be arriving in Port Moresby tomorrow. His Holiness Pope Francis will be in the country on a four-day State Visit beginning tomorrow. Grand Chief Sir Bob said the visit of Pope Francis to Papua New Guinea is timely and is for all Christians throughout the country to embrace and come together in unity. “As a professed Christian country, we in Papua New Guinea warmly welcome the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to our shores.” “We have been looking forward to this visit for many months. As universal head of the Christian Church, the visit of His Holiness is not for those of the Catholic faith alone, but for all Christians throughout our nation.” He added that the visit of the Pope is timely and comes at a time when the country is facing many challenges. He said that this visit demonstrates the need for all Christians to come together in unity. Despite the cultural differences and varying beliefs, he stressed that the country must strive for unity and refer to receive His Holiness as our leader of the Christian faith. He further stated that the proposal to officially declare PNG as a Christian country is commendable and highlights that despite our vast cultural and religious diversity, we are united in the Christian faith which is a positive step for the nation and for future generations. “We are grateful for the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis and wish the Holy Father god’s blessings and guidance on this the longest and furthest tour he is undertaking to the Asia-Pacific region." Pope Francis will arrive in Port Moresby tomorrow and pay a Courtesy Call on the Governor General at Government House on Saturday the 7th of September 2024, before he embarks on a program of activities that include meetings with political, business, and religious leaders, leaders of Pacific Island countries, and visits to Catholic run schools and institutions. The Pope will travel to Vanimo on Sunday and host Holy Mass on Sunday and Monday in Port Moresby. Pope Francis is the leader of Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome and is referred to as head of the Universal Christian Church. Furthermore, Pope Francis departs Port Moresby on Monday the 9th of September 2024 back to the Vatican City in Rome, Italy.