The subtle Catholic spirituality vying with the dangerous darkness in Pope Francis’s ‘peripheries’

PORT MORESBY – The capital city of Papua New Guinea, and one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world, is a classic example of what Pope Francis means when he talks about engaging with and not neglecting the world’s “peripheries”.

Flying into the city, one of the most noticeable aspects of Port Moresby is how densely packed it is, with run-down houses crammed together in what appears to be a massive ghetto with no clear distinction between neighbourhoods or various sectors of the city.

On the ground, people are strewn throughout the streets and open areas. Many are simply sitting and loitering around. It's not like a Western city, where people are busily on the move for a meeting or with "things to do".