Pope Francis visits PNG, urges fair treatment for workers

Pontiff also calls for end to ethnic violence in resource-rich Pacific country

Pope Francis receives a gift from an Indigenous woman on the day of a meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on Sept. 7. © Reuters

September 7, 2024 15:06 JST

PORT MORESBY (Reuters) -- Pope Francis on Saturday called for better treatment of workers in Papua New Guinea, a nation of some 600 islands in the Southwestern Pacific that has become a major target of international companies for its gas, gold and other reserves.

In a speech to political authorities in the country, which is home to hundreds of tribal groups and more than 800 spoken languages, the 87-year-old Catholic pontiff also made a heartfelt appeal for an end to a spate of ethnic violence that has killed dozens in recent months.