Asia - Pacific News

Two children, one of them holding a statue of Blessed Peter To Rot, await the visit of Pope Francis at the Caritas Technical Secondary School in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 7, 2024.

Remembering the missionary martyrs of Papua New Guinea

Sep 8, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Here is a closer look at three remarkable individuals who shaped the Catholic mission in Papua New Guinea. Read more

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 8, 2024.

Pope Francis’ Mass in Papua New Guinea: ‘Open yourselves to the joy of the Gospel’

Sep 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Papua New Guinea on Sunday, urging openness to God and others while praying for peace... Read more

The new Maori Queen Kuini Nga wai hono i te po — who is Catholic — leaves the waka (canoe) following her father, Maori king Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, on Sept. 5, 2024, in Hamilton, New Zealand.

New Maori Queen in New Zealand is Catholic

Sep 7, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

The Maori people, the Indigenous population of mainland New Zealand, have crowned a new queen after the death of their... Read more

Pope Francis visits the Caritas Technical Secondary School in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 7, 2024.

Pope Francis asks Papua New Guinea Catholics to spread the Gospel to ‘peripheries’

Sep 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis called on Catholics in Papua New Guinea to continue to bring the Gospel to the most marginalized and... Read more

A man stands in front of a poster of Pope Francis outside APEC Haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to welcome the Roman pontiff, Sept. 7, 2024.

Pope Francis urges stewardship of Papua New Guinea’s resources, peace among tribes

Sep 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

In his address to officials in Port Moresby, Pope Francis called for responsible use of natural resources, an end to... Read more

The population of Papua New Guinea is currently 30% Catholic, with growth at a rate of 40,000 baptized each year.

Some people in Papua New Guinea walked 3 weeks to see Pope Francis

Sep 6, 2024

By Nicolás de Cárdenas

Some people even came from the Solomon Islands, about 885 miles to the east in the South Pacific.  Read more

Socorro Vázquez (left) together with Indonesian friends prior to attending a papal Mass in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Spanish expatriate reflects on gift of pope’s visit to predominantly Muslim Indonesia

Socorro Vázquez, a 27-year-old Catholic from Spain, reflected on her experience of Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia and her faith... Read more

Pope Francis is welcomed in Papua New Guinea on Sept. 6, 2024.

Pope Francis arrives in Papua New Guinea amid report of arrests in Indonesia

Sep 6, 2024

By Kristina Millare

As Pope Francis arrives in Papua New Guinea, Indonesian police report they detained seven individuals in connection with a foiled... Read more

East Timor’s President José Ramos-Horta and Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva,speak to EWTN News in Depth in August 2024, ahead of the visit by Pope Francis.

How the Catholic faith has helped East Timor forgive

Sep 6, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis’ visit to East Timor highlights the Catholic Church’s vital role in the nation’s journey of reconciliation and peace. Read more

A young Catholic attends the papal Mass at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

PHOTOS: Pope Francis in Indonesia for his 45th apostolic journey

Sep 6, 2024

By Jonah McKeown

The Holy Father on Tuesday landed in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, the first stop on what is to be... Read more

Pope Francis celebrates a Papal Mass at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

Pope Francis celebrates Mass with 100,000 worshippers in Indonesia

Sep 5, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Upon entering the stadium in a wheelchair, Pope Francis was immediately greeted by loud cheers and cries of “Viva Papa!”... Read more

Pope Francis speaks to religious leaders on the grounds of Indonesia's national mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept 5, 2024.

Pope Francis and grand imam sign joint declaration at Indonesia mosque

Sep 5, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis signs interfaith declaration at Indonesia’s largest mosque, promoting religious harmony and condemning violence. Read more

Pope Francis speaks at the Istana Negara Presidential Palace Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.

Pope Francis: Indonesia’s high birth rate is an example for other countries

Sep 4, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The 87-year-old pontiff said the diverse nation’s high fertility rate should be an example for other countries around the world.  Read more

Pope Francis participates in a meeting at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024, with bishops, priest, religious, seminarians, and catechists.

Pope Francis invites Indonesia’s Catholics to share ‘joy of encountering Christ’

Sep 4, 2024

By Courtney Mares

“Proclaiming the Gospel … [means] giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ always with great respect and fraternal affection... Read more

Pope Francis speaks next to Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a meeting with the authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024.

Pope Francis begins Indonesia visit with call for Catholic-Muslim dialogue

Sep 4, 2024

By Courtney Mares

On Francis’ first full day in Indonesia on Wednesday, the pope called upon the political leaders to protect the country’s... Read more

Pope Francis at the apostolic nunciature in Jakarta with refugee children.

Pope Francis greets orphans and refugees in Indonesia

Pope Francis received a group of homeless people in Rome before departing for Southeast Asia and, upon arriving in Jakarta,... Read more

Pope Francis arrives in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.

Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia, the first leg of his longest trip ever

Sep 3, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday, launching his challenging 11-day, four-country tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania amid warm... Read more

The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, Indonesia.

What it’s like to be a Catholic in the world’s largest Muslim country

Sep 3, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia spotlights the unique experience of the country’s 8.3 million Catholics who navigate daily life in... Read more

St. John Paul II (1920-2005).

Francis won’t be the first pope to visit Papua New Guinea: a look at John Paul II’s trips

Sep 1, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

Pope John Paul II visited Papua New Guinea for the first time in May 1984 and paid tribute to the... Read more

The Monastery of Gedono receives many guests, both Catholic and Muslim. The sisters have a guesthouse for priests, religious, and laypeople who come for a few days or a week of solitude and prayer. As many as 200 or 300 people attend Sunday Mass at the monastery.

In Muslim Indonesia, a Catholic monastery has become part of the community

Sep 1, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Sister Martha Driscoll, the founding superior of a monastery in Java, shares what life is like for Catholics in the... Read more