Anglican Communion News Service

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will visit Papua New Guinea from 19-24 October, at the invitation of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea.   Archbishop Williams and his wife, Dr Jane Williams, will arrive in Port Moresby on Saturday at the start of a five day visit in which they will experience the rich and varied life of the church and nation.   

On arrival in the capital, Port Moresby, the Archbishop will make courtesy calls on the Governor General and political leaders and meet and pray with church families from the diocese.

On Sunday the Archbishop will be the Preacher and Principal Concelebrant at a Holy Eucharist and Provincial Celebration at the Cathedral in Popondetta, the capital of Oro (Northern) Province in Papua New Guinea. Later that day the Archbishop and Dr Jane Williams will address a Youth Gathering where they will meet with youth leaders to hear their hopes and concerns and talk about the gifts that young people bring to their church and communities in a time of cultural change.

The following day he will formally open a newly refurbished Anglican hospital in Oro Bay, and participate in a service of dedication of the hospital’s work, serving the coastal population. Later in the day he will meet with members of Papua New Guinea’s Anglican religious communities which include the Melanesian Brotherhood, The Society of Saint Francis, and the Congregation of the Sisters of the Visitation of our Lady.  

The Archbishop will participate in a ground-breaking ceremony for a new teacher training college, an institution which will help address the serious shortage of qualified teacher trainers while strengthening the Church’s own ministry in education.  A visit to a Theological College later on the same day will see the Archbishop and Dr Jane Williams speak with the trainee priests on their vision for theological education.

On Tuesday 23^rd October Dr Williams will visit Dogura where the first Anglican missionaries landed in 1891.   He will visit the renowned Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul in Dogura where he will celebrate and preach at a Eucharist with the local community, including the primary and secondary school students and staff.

Back in Port Moresby for the final day of the visit, the Archbishop will meet with members of the Papua New Guinea Anglican/Roman Catholic Commission to share perspectives on ecumenical relations and affirm the nature of this longstanding dialogue.  During a visit to an elementary school run by the Anglican Church in a poor urban settlement, he will plant a Modawa tree, symbolic to the local church. The Archbishop and Dr Jane Williams will then meet staff and patients at the Anglicare HIV Centre, hearing about the issues of HIV and gender-based violence and learning about the response of faith groups though discussion with the Church Leaders’ Alliance against HIV and representatives from the Government and United Nations. The visit will conclude with a formal dinner hosted by the Government.

Speaking in advance of his visit The Archbishop said:

“I am delighted to be visiting Papua New Guinea and to be able to experience at first-hand the remarkable life of the church in this nation and its contribution to the wider community.” We much look forward to celebrating the faithful Christian witness and dedicated service of the church among different communities and to seeing for ourselves the church’s central role in health, education and community development.  We also look forward to experiencing how the enduring assets of the country’s rich culture and strong social fabric allow a confident response to the challenges of the day.  There is so much in the life of the church and nation which is a gift for the wider church and for the world.

I look forward to discussions with church leaders from the different churches and with national leaders over the nation’s priorities for its people.  I am very grateful to the Government of Papua New Guinea for its hospitality and its support.”