As Pope Francis’s sprawling 12-day journey to Asia and Oceania approaches, the local bishop of the remote Diocese of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea says people are overjoyed that the pontiff is once again making the “periphery” a priority.

Speaking to Crux, Bishop Francis Meli, originally from the town of Rabaul, but who has led the Diocese of Vanimo since 2018, called Pope Francis’s upcoming visit “historic” since “no pope has ever visited the diocese and there may not be any more in history".

“It is a great jubilation for people in Papua New Guinea as a whole,” he said, noting that Vanimo “is small and very remote, it’s a very remote diocese in Papua New Guinea which is right at the border with Indonesia, so people are so excited about the visit of the Pope here.”