The Catholic Bishops Conference has formally announced recently the confirmation of the Pope’s visit to Papua New Guinea from the 6th-9th of September, 2024 in a four nation visit. CBC President, Rev. Bishop Otto Separy stated that Pope Francis’s visit to the country will double as both a state visit and a pastoral visit as he is the State head of the Vatican City and the head of the Catholic Church as well. “The official announcement came from the Vatican on the 12th of April confirming his (Pope Francis) visit to PNG. We are all very delighted that our Holy Father will be visiting and we are looking forward to his Papal visit.” Bishop Separy stated that the CBC believes that the Pope’s visit to the nation will bring peace and joy as well as God’s graces and blessings and has said that it is in the people’s hands to prepare themselves physically, and spiritually for this visit. Chairperson of the Papal Visit Committee and Bishop of Lae, Rev. Bishop Rozario Menezes stated that this was a four-nation Papal visit and outlined the tentative program which will include the Pope’s arrival, his meetings, visits to the sick and street children here in Port Moresby as well as a visit to the Vanimo Diocese. “This is the tentative program of our Holy Father’s visit to PNG. We have had an advanced team visit us here in the city to see that our preparations are suitable for the Papal Visit.” “As we all know, Pope Francis is 87 years-old but despite his age and sickness, he has decided to come.” Additionally, Bishop Rozario stated that the Papal visit Committee has been working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko and his team as they have dealt with a majority of the state visits that the country has seen. Meanwhile, on this four-nation visit, on the PNG leg of his visit, Pope Francis will be visiting Port Moresby and Vanimo. This visit will make Pope Francis the second Pope to visit Papua New Guinea following Pope John Paul the Second’s visit to the nation in 1984 and 1995 respectively.