The Pope began his Friday with a private mass at the nunciature, where he was staying in Jakarta.
Upon arrival at the international airport, Soekarno-Hatta was greeted by a guard of honour, the Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Cardinal Gnatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo and other civil and religious authorities.
The Pope boarded an Airbus A330, accompanied by journalists and people in charge of the trip.
Infographic of Pope Francis’ trip ©CNS graphic/Justin McLellan
Welcome in Port Moresby
The Garuda-Indonesia aircraft took off at around 6 a.m. The journey is expected to take about six hours, so the Airbus will touch down at Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, at 12:00 (local time).
There will be a welcoming ceremony presided over by the Deputy Prime Minister, which will include the traditional cannon salute, honour guard, songs, offering of flowers in traditional dress and presentation of the delegations.
From the airport the Pope will go to the Nunciature, where he will spend four nights until Monday, September 9, during his stay in the archipelago.
Papua New Guinea today
Port Moresby, colloquially known as Pom Town, with its 350 thousand inhabitants is the capital and main city and port of Papua New Guinea, a country with more than 10 million inhabitants, known for its beaches, coral reefs and rainforests.
During World War II it was a United States base and became independent from Australia and Great Britain in 1975.
The political situation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is complex and characterized by a combination of political instability, corruption and socio-economic challenges.
It is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth, with a government structure that includes a Prime Minister as head of government and a Governor-General who represents the British monarch, Charles III.
The author Hernan Sergio Mora
