In his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis reiterated his call for the Church to be a “field hospital” that goes out to the peripheries of society to bring healing and hope.

“The Church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners,” the Holy Father said, drawing applause from the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Message for the Pacific Islands

The Pope also mentioned the Church in the Pacific Islands, praising the dedication of missionaries and local clergy who serve in some of the most remote regions of the world.

“I think of our brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea, in the Solomon Islands, in Fiji and throughout Oceania. Your faith is a light in the world.”

This message brings encouragement to the faithful in the Diocese of Aitape and throughout Papua New Guinea.