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Papua New Guinea celebrated a historic moment of “national pride” as the country’s first saint was canonised, with joyful services in churches and communities across the Pacific nation.
Peter ToRot was killed in prison in 1945 for standing up for monogamous marriage at a time when polygamy was practised. He was one of seven people canonised at a Mass in St Peter’s Square held by Pope Leo on Sunday, in a ceremony put in motion by Pope Francis in one of his final acts.
Many people travelled from Papua New Guinea to Rome, where tens of thousands of people attended the service on Sunday. Ceremonies were held across Papua New Guinea and thousands were believed to have attended services in the capital, Port Moresby.
In Rakunai village in the island of East New Britain, where ToRot was born, hundreds of people gathered at St Augustine parish and took part in a long weekend of church activities and celebrations.
Prime minister James Marape described it as a “historic moment of pride, faith and inspiration for Papua New Guinea and our people.”
More than 90% of Papua New Guinea’s 12 million residents call themselves Christian, but the religion sits alongside a large number of local beliefs, customs and rites. About a quarter of Papua New Guineans are Catholic.
“We have our saint, he stands as a model for all of us to turn away from evil that may exist in our lives,” Fr Ambrose Pereira from Mary Help of Christians, Sabama in Port Moresby, told the Guardian.
Fr Pereira said hundreds of Catholics gathered across Port Moresbyin their respective parishes for the last three days, to celebrate and highlight the life of ToRot.
“Peter ToRot has evoked in us a sense of right living and good conduct, especially in our relationships particularly with our spouses encouraging respect and dignity,” Fr Pereira said.
ToRot was born in 1912 in Rakunai village and baptised at an early age into the Catholic church.
He served as catechist in his village and was entrusted with the local parish during the second world war when the Japanese occupied the region. He stood up for religious values in the face of Japanese oppression and continued to hold services in secret.
Around 1943, the destruction of the church saw him build a “bush church” outside the village to hold secret services; he kept records of baptisms and weddings there. ToRot and others continued their work until he was imprisoned and killed by lethal injection by the Japanese in 1945.
Fr John Glynn, a highly respected Catholic priest in PNG from Jubilee Catholic secondary school, said the canonisation of ToRot was of “huge significance to the Christian people of Papua New Guinea”.
“He lead his people in worship and encouraged them to be faithful to their
Christian beliefs and to live in hope,” said Glynn, who started his priesthood journey in the region where ToRot was from and has served in many villages in the area.
Fr Lawrence Arockiaraj, the general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, hailed the “canonisation as a moment of national pride and spiritual significance.
“Saint Peter TeRot’s life of faith, courage, and devotion to family serves as a model not only for Papua New Guinea, but for the world and the universal church” Fr Lawrence said.
Josephine Thom from Madang said the canonisation marked a “proud moment for our family”. She added: “Saint Peter ToRot’s faith strengthens our hope and encourages us to teach our children to live a life of service, honesty, and devotion to God.”
Associated Press contributed to this report
