A historic decision, but one that is prompting criticism among Catholics. On March 12, Papua New Guinea officially declared its Christian identity. A new course for this Oceanian country of nearly 11 million inhabitants, composed of more than 90% Christians. The amendment, which modifies the preamble of the Constitution, was passed by a large majority — 80 votes in favor, four against. From now on, the text mentions that “(We, the people of Papua New Guinea) acknowledge and declare God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit as our Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and the source of our powers and authorities, delegated to the people and all persons under the geographical jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea.”

The objective is to create a movement of national unity that rests on shared Christian values and reflects the central role of Christian faith in the nation's history and development. Furthermore, the Bible has become officially one of the national symbols. These constitutional revisions, discussed since 2022, were strongly supported by Prime Minister James Marape, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He says he wants to make his country “the richest Black Christian nation on planet Earth” in the coming years.

Fear of an instrumentalization

Do these changes make Papua New Guinea a Christian State, strictly speaking? In addition to constitutionalization, a State Church is necessary. The island territory does not meet this final condition due to the risk of interdenominational tensions. Fewer than 50 countries in the world have a state religion. While most of them are Muslim, there are also Christian states, like the Anglican United Kingdom or Catholic Costa Rica.

The amendment, which does not affect freedom of worship and guarantees believers the right to practice their religion, is viewed critically by Catholics, who number 2.5 million (according to a recent Vatican report on the occasion of Pope Francis’s visit to the country in September 2024). For Catholic leaders, this inscription does not respond to the needs of Papuan society. They particularly fear a risk of instrumentalization but also of tensions between the different Christian communities and traditional religions present in rural areas. Papua New Guinea is indeed characterized by great ethnic diversity and has the highest number of spoken languages in the world, with nearly 850 recorded idioms.

Strong income disparities and systemic violence

Furthermore, these changes are unlikely to produce an economic and social miracle, as James Marape advocates. “To become ‘rich,’ Papua New Guinea can only rely on Christianity for personal honesty, altruism, and a general sense of the common good — qualities that politicians and the bureaucracy fail to achieve. For the rest, it needs education, investments, and infrastructure,” writes Father Giorgio Licini, former secretary general of the Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea, in an op-ed published in Asia News.

According to a 2022 UNICEF report, the country suffers from strong income disparities. Thus, 40% of the population lives below the extreme poverty line, and 41% of children grow up in poverty. The NGO Human Rights Watch has classified the country as “dangerous for women and girls.” In territories where the State is absent, Churches often serve as intermediaries to access certain public services.

“Michael Somare, the founder of the country, was Catholic, which means that we are already a Christian country… but for us Catholics, we are also Christian in our mindset, we don’t need to declare a Christian country,” said Father Miguel de La Kale, who accompanied Pope Francis during his visit to Papua New Guinea, to the Australian media outlet ABC. During his trip, Francis emphasized interreligious dialogue and the peaceful coexistence of religions. Already in 2024, many voices had been raised, including that of Cardinal John Ribat, Archbishop of Port Moresby, who feared “a distortion of the nature of the State.”