Saint Peter To Rot and Papua New Guinea today
During the canonisations on 19 October, Pope Leo XIV will proclaim the first saint of this Oceanic country: a lay catechist, husband and father, who died a martyr for defending Christian marriage. Vice-postulator Fr Ravaioli reflects on the relevance of this figure today: ‘He fought against corruption. He tells us what it really means to proclaim oneself a Christian.’
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Among the new saints that Pope Leo XIV will proclaim on 19 October - World Mission Day - there is one who is very important for Oceania: Peter To Rot (1912-1945) will become the first saint of Papua New Guinea. A lay catechist, husband and father, he died a martyr for defending marriage while the Japanese occupation forces promoted polygamy to ingratiate themselves with the local tribes.
For his canonisation, in addition to the bishops, about a hundred people from Papua New Guinea and a few dozen from other countries have arrived in Rome. On 20 October, the day after the ceremony, they will be received in audience by Pope Leo XIV, while in the evening the Cardinal Archbishop of Port Moresby, John Ribat, will preside over the first Mass in honour of the new saint in Rome. In Papua New Guinea, the official celebrations in honour of the first local saint will then be held in Rabaul from 11 to 14 December.
But what does this figure represent for Papua New Guinea today? Below we publish a reflection on this theme by Fr. Tomas Ravaioli, missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, vice-postulator of the cause for the beatification of Peter To Rot.
That Papua New Guinea is a young nation is no secret to anyone: just a few days ago, on September 16, our nation turned only 50 years old. And, providentially, this same year this young nation will have its first saint. I use the word “providentially” because those things that for us may seem like “coincidences” are not so for God: “You have ordered all things by measure, number, and weight” (Wis 11:20) says the Bible, and nothing escapes his infinite wisdom. If God wanted to give us our first saint in the very same year that our nation turns 50, there is a reason for it.
What is the relevance of this canonization for our nation? We could list many facts and benefits that this canonization brings to our country, but let us limit ourselves to the most important ones:
1) Saint Peter To Rot teaches us that God must have absolute priority.
In recent months there have been great debates in our country about whether or not it was convenient to declare Papua New Guinea a Christian nation. The discussions have been endless. And in the end, what truly makes our nation Christian is not a political declaration or a nice document signed by members of Parliament, but the consistency of life of its citizens: if we are Christians, we must behave as such. It is an inconsistency (and I would even dare say a blasphemy) to call oneself “Christian” and then forget the commandments that teach us not to steal, not to lie, not to kill, etc.
To Rot, instead, teaches us to be consistent with our faith and to put God as the true priority in our lives, even if that costs us our lives.
In the Acts of the Apostles we are told that the Jews, led by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, wanted to stop the preaching of the apostles, and strongly ordered them not to speak anymore about the Lord Jesus. And it was Peter who, speaking on behalf of all the apostles, answered without fear: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) Nineteen hundred years later, in another corner of the world, another man named Peter would say similar words: “They have taken away our priests, but they cannot forbid us to be Catholics and to live and die as such. I’m your catechist, and I will do my duty even if it costs me my life.
Yes, to obey God rather than men, and to place God’s law as a priority in our lives, is part of the Christian life: whoever does not put God as a priority is not truly Christian. Jesus taught us in word and deed that it is necessary to be faithful until the end, until the last day of our lives, and only then will we obtain the eternal reward. In a world in which many call themselves “Christians” but live like true pagans without law, the life of To Rot teaches us that God must come first and above all. He used to repeat this phrase: “God’s work is all and everything.” And while in prison, he said: “I have to fulfil my duty as a Church witness to Jesus Christ.” And also: “Oh, well, they are going to kill me because of my religion.”
2) St Peter To Rot teaches us that holiness is possible in any state of life.
To Rot shows us that everyone, no matter the state of life in which we find ourselves, can attain holiness. Holiness is not a luxury reserved for a few, but a necessity for all members of the Church. Everyone, absolutely everyone, is called to be holy. “But as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
Sometimes, when we think of the saints, it may seem that holiness is an almost unattainable ideal for us. The vast majority of saints whose feasts we celebrate in the liturgy were people who did great things and great deeds for God: they were great Doctors of the Church, or Popes, or martyrs, or missionaries in distant lands, or kings… and sometimes it is difficult to imitate them, because we are far from being any of those. However, To Rot shows us that we can be saints in any situation in which we find ourselves. He was neither a priest, nor a missionary, nor a king, nor a Doctor of the Church, nor any such thing: he was an ordinary man, married, father of three children, who lived in a humble haus morota with his young wife Paula.
And yet, though “ordinary,” Peter was extraordinary. He was extraordinary for his faith, for the consistency of his life, and for his strength in facing difficulties for the love of Christ. The day before To Rot was killed, chief Anton Tata had the chance to see him for the last time. Later, he wrote: “Later on, in prison, I had a man-to-man talk with To Rot who said: ‘I am here because of those who break their marriage vows, and because of those who do not want to see God’s work go forward. That’s it. I shall die. You go back to care for the people.’ I said that he should try to bribe the police for his freedom. He replied: ‘Put that out of your mind. They have already condemned me to death.’”
3) Lastly, St Peter To Rot encourages us in our difficulties.
It is well known that, despite having celebrated 50 years as a country, Papua New Guinea is still very behind when it comes to health, education, infrastructure, and other basic needs. I live in Goroka, and just recently, during the weekend of the Goroka Show when the city was full of tourists, Goroka experienced all kinds of hardships.
These are hardships we live with daily: practically no running water, constant power outages (sometimes up to four in a day!), telephone lines (despite high rates) never working, etc., the hospital had no medicines, and going out to celebrate on the streets was dangerous and inadvisable. Meanwhile, we saw on TV how in Port Moresby shows were being held that must have cost millions of kina. A real pity: while some were dancing in POM, people were thirsty and without power and medicine in Goroka.
And this is just one example. We know how much our people suffer in the most remote villages or in the bush. Basic needs are not met, and our children, youth, and elderly live as best they can, trying to survive in the most dignified way possible.
What does this have to do with Peter To Rot? It has to do with the fact that Peter To Rot was one of us: he also knew injustice, corruption, hunger, thirst, and the lack of basic services. And yet, with his strength of spirit and his spiritual fortitude, he was able to overcome it all.
Let us remember that he was unjustly imprisoned, and his Japanese guards treated him in the worst possible way. Let us remember that To Rot spent days without food in prison, and was severely beaten by the wardens. Let us remember that he too was a victim of lies, injustice, and corruption. That is why his example encourages us in our own struggles and in our own moments of difficulty and discouragement.
Let us end this article with the testimony of his wife, Paula Ia Varpit: “Two days before his death, I paid my husband one of my regular visits. He asked me to bring him a razor, a loin-cloth and his catechist’s crucifix, which he had hidden in a suitcase containing song-sheets. I arrived at the prison on the next day, earlier than usual, bringing with me the things he had asked for. I brought my two children with me. I also cooked for him, a chicken with some yams. To Rot appeared to have lost his appetite, and I was feeling somewhat uneasy, as he had not explained why he wanted the things he had asked her to bring from home. Expressing my fears, I begged To Rot to give up the catechist’s way of life, and to take up, instead, a quiet, withdrawn style of living. To Rot had replied: ‘Don’t you worry about that. It is my duty to die for God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and for my people.’ Then he made the sign of the cross. He showed no sign of fear or grief. We sat together for a long time, and then To Rot urged me to take the children home.”
This was the last meeting between Peter and Paula. A few hours later, the good catechist would shed his blood out of love for Christ, watering our land forever.
* Missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word in Papua New Guinea, vice-postulator of the cause for beatification of Peter To Rot
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31/03/2025 17:32
