The Holy See, Pope Francis, will be accorded a 21-gun salute, guard of honor and respect when he visits PNG in September. Preparations have been ongoing since January, according to Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko, who is also responsible for National Events. He said an inter-government agencies committee has been working to ensure preparations for the week-long visit is a success, and memorable. Pope Francis will be the second pontiff to visit PNG; Pope John Paul II was the first Head of the Catholic Church to visit PNG twice in 1984 and 1995. In a statement, Minister Tkatchenko also highlighted a collaborative effort on preparations by the PNG Government, the Catholic Bishops Conference, and the Vatican for this historical visit of the Head of the Catholic Church. “The visit of the Pope would be completely different to the normal programs for State Visits for the Head of State, Heads of government, and other VIP guests,” his statement reads. Referring to the committee, he said, “We’ve got the right people in the right place, and we have all very experienced Papua New Guineans who have handled all visits from the Royal Family to Heads of Government, and Heads of State.” The Catholic Bishops Conference has confirmed the visit by His Holiness Pope Frances to PNG from the 6th to the 9th of September. Archbishop of Port Moresby, Cardinal Sir John Ribat said the four-nation visit planned in 2020 was deferred due to COVID. He said the Pope’s visit is good news for Christians because he is a State, and a spiritual leader for everyone. “We are excited and looking forward to this visit”. “His visit brings hope and encouragement and also it is a blessing to us." The Vatican officially announced this week that Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, PNG, Timor-Leste, and Singapore between September 2 to 13. Upon arrival from Jakarta, Indonesia, he will make a courtesy visit to Governor General Sir Bob Dadae at Government House, followed by an audience with the Civil Society and the diplomatic community at the APEC Haus. In preparation for that, the Foreign Affairs Minister also announced this week that following an NEC decision, the management and operations of the APEC Haus at Ela Beach, Port Moresby, will now be handed over from the Finance Minister and his department which has managed it for the last six years. The Pope is also expected to hold a public gathering at the Sir John Guise Stadium, before his one-day visit to Vanimo, West Sepik. Pope Francis will also meet with youths in Port Moresby after returning from Vanimo, before his departure to Timor-Leste. Minister Tkatchenko said as a lead-up to the Papal visit, the Vatican advance team arrived in the country in February to visit Vanimo.