Papua Proud of Its Christianity

Adopted on March 12, 2025, by an overwhelming majority of 80 to 4 by parliamentarians, the new amendment enshrines in the Constitution the explicit recognition of Christianity as the foundation of the young Papuan state: "We, the people of Papua New Guinea, recognize and declare God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit as our Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, the source of all power and authority," the country's fundamental law now states.

And the news site The Pillar, which relayed the news, added that Parliament also decided to recognize the Bible as an official national symbol, and to include "Christian values" among the country's "fundamental values."

Prime Minister James Marape, a fervent supporter of this reform, welcomed a decision that, according to him, reflects the central role of Christianity in the nation's history and development. "Amid such a diversity of languages, cultures, and ethnicities, no one can deny that the different Christian denominations have been the bedrock of our country's unity and cohesion," declared the Papuan chief executive. A measure that has left the local Catholic clergy skeptical.

Yet, from a purely statistical perspective, Papua New Guinea is undeniably a Christian country. According to the last census in 2011, 95.6% of the population identifies as such, a proportion that may have changed slightly but remains overwhelming.

Catholics form the largest group, with approximately 27% of the population, or 2.5 million faithful according to the Holy See in 2024, followed by Lutherans (19.5%), and a mosaic of other denominations more or less affiliated with the Pentecostal or Evangelical nebula. This predominance is explained by the region's missionary past, dating back to the 19th century, when the first missionaries, notably French Marists, laid the foundations of evangelization in the 1840s.

However, in a critical contribution published on March 18, 2025, Fr. Giorgio Licini, former Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and current head of the Papuan branch of Caritas, analyzes this amendment as an attempt to address a crisis of national identity.

According to him, three forces are clashing on the ground: a rich ancestral heritage, the influence of Western colonialism, and the 21st-century digital revolution. By enshrining its Christian identity in the Constitution, the government seeks to unify the country around a common pillar, while distinguishing itself from its neighbors—Muslim Indonesia to the west on the one hand, and Australia and New Zealand on the other, both perceived as marked by secularization and a progressive way of life.

Supporters of the amendment, mostly from evangelical and Pentecostal faiths, believe that formal recognition of Christianity will promote the common good by combating the scourges of violence, corruption, and ignorance: "When Christianity is fully recognized by the Constitution, everyone will rally around this new identity to overcome divisions," believes a Protestant pastor, quoted by Fr. Licini.

This vision is not shared by the Catholic hierarchy. During Pope Francis's visit in September 2024, Cardinal John Ribat, the first Papuan cardinal, referring to the "Black Wednesday" violence of January 2024, which left 22 dead, believed that declaring the country "Christian" would not resolve the structural problems.

At the same time, the Bishops’ Conference had criticized the proposed change to the Constitution: "While the Bible has been enthroned in Parliament since 2015 and more than 90% of Papuans identify as Christians, we have seen no reduction in corruption, violence, anarchy, or offensive parliamentary debates," the prelates wrote. One might object that, to the contrary, such inclusion would not increase the statistics of violence in the country.

Fr. Licini is more severe: he suggests that this reform could exacerbate tensions between Christian denominations. This is precisely where the problem lies: Evangelicals and Pentecostals, often more militant, could, according to the cleric, seek to impose their very "committed" vision of Christianity, to the detriment of a current Catholic approach that has abandoned evangelization in order to focus on social justice and interreligious dialogue.