Papua New Guinea's first cardinal to represent Catholics in 'small places'

Friday, Nov. 04, 2016

OXFORD, England (CNS) — Papua New Guinea’s first cardinal believes his appointment highlights the pope’s wish for Catholics to be treated equally from all parts of the world.

“He’s been very true to his word that he’s not looking at the traditional places where cardinals have been appointed in the past, but going beyond that and wanting a fairer representation,” said Cardinal-elect John Ribat, 59, archbishop of Port Moresby.

“He wants to say the Church is for the poor, and that’s how he sees it in his mind and wants to show it now in practice, not only through the traditional places, but also reaching out to small places,” he said about his nomination as the first-ever cardinal from the South Pacific country, which has 853 registered languages and a mostly rural population.

He said that climate change had caused rising sea levels and the “slow disappearance” of islands in the region, where many inhabitants were now unable to eat harvested food because of salt contamination.

“The Church is in the midst of all these things and we are preparing ourselves to meet the challenges,” Cardinal-elect Ribat said. “And what we are doing here is not only for the church – for those who are Catholic – but for everyone. We go out and help all of them, and encourage them to feel we’re doing it for them.”

Born at Volavolo in 1957, John Ribat made his first profession with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in February 1979. He was ordained a priest in December 1985 and worked in parishes in Bereina Diocese. After studies in Manila, Philippines, he served as master of novices for the order at Suva, Fiji.

He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Bereina in October 2000 and then bishop in February 2002. He became archbishop of Port Moresby in March 2008, a year after Pope Benedict XVI appointed him coadjutor archbishop.