Arriving in Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis called for greater efforts toward material development and lasting peace in the rural country, which has been plagued by economic underdevelopment and violence.

On the second leg of his 12-day journey to four countries, Pope Francis will take a six-hour flight Friday morning, Sept. 6, Indonesia to Papua New Guinea, a predominantly Christian country in Oceania.

During his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis and the grand imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta signed the ”Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024,” which aims at “fostering religious harmony for the sake of humanity.”

Pope Francis will arrive at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia, tomorrow morning, where he will sign an important document with the grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar.

Pope Francis’ second day in Indonesia involved two major events: a meeting with political and religious authorities and an encounter with the Catholic bishops, clergy and catechists at the cathedral.

“Daunting,” “heroic” and even “punishing.” Here’s what to expect during Pope Francis’ Asia-Oceania trip.

In an interview with America, Father Markus Solo spoke about the reasons why Indonesia’s government and its Catholic and Muslim leaders wanted Francis to visit the country, which he described as “young and dynamic.”

How much of Indonesia is Catholic? Is Christianity on the rise? Why is Pope Francis visiting? Here’s what you need to know.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Pope Francis also repeated his ardent desire to visit China, discussed how he handles stress and criticism, and shared that he has experienced crises in his religious life as a Jesuit.

Pope Francis has named Richard Garth Henning, 59, current bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, as the seventh Archbishop of Boston, the Vatican announced on Aug. 5.