Peter To Rot, the first saint of Papua New Guinea
Pope Francis has approved his canonisation, together with that of Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan, killed in the Armenian genocide. A lay catechist, To Rot was killed in 1945 for defending marriage against the Japanese who, in order to ingratiate themselves with local tribes, promoted polygamy.
Vatican (AsiaNews) – A few months after Pope Francis’s visit to Papua New Guinea, its local Church can rejoice in a new long-awaited news. The remote country in Oceania will have its first saint: Peter To Rot, a lay catechist, married and father of three children, killed in 1945 by the Japanese occupation forces.
The Vatican Press Office announced today that, on Friday, the pontiff approved the favourable votes of the cardinals and bishops members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints for the canonisation of Peter To Rot (1912-1945) and that of another martyr, Armenian Catholic Bishop Ignatius Shoukrallah Maloyan, killed in 1915 during the Armenian genocide.
Francis also approved the promulgation of three other decrees, including one recognising the miracle attributed to the Venezuelan Blessed Mary of Mount Carmel, born Carmen Elena Rendíles Martínez (1903-1977), foundress of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus.
The Church is thus preparing to proclaim three new saints. The date of the ceremony, which will take place in Rome, will be set in a consistory that will be called when Francis is able to preside over it.
While in the Gemelli Hospital last month, Francis promulgated the decrees in causes of canonisation of two more saints, Giuseppe Gregorio Hernández Cisneros and Bartolo Longo.
Born in 1912 in Rakunai, in the easternmost part of Papua New Guinea, Peter To Rot belonged to the Tolai community. Son of the village chief, after he was specially trained, he carried out with dedication the ministry of catechist in his community.
When the Japanese occupied Papua New Guinea during World War II and imprisoned all the missionaries, he did what he could to carry out catechetical activities and continue to prepare couples for Christian marriage.
For this reason, he opposed the practice of polygamy that the Japanese had allowed to ingratiate themselves with local tribes. As a result, he was arrested and sentenced to two months in prison.
During his time in prison, only his mother, wife together and children could visit him. Treated more harshly than the other prisoners, he died in prison in July 1945, poisoned. St John Paul II beatified him on 17 January 1995 in Port Moresby.
Last year, the bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands requested to dispense Peter To Rot’s cause from a miracle. While noting the reporting of many proofs, they argued that it is very difficult to document the necessary miracle because too few hospitals can provide the scientifically necessary documentation to prove a miraculous healing; what is more, the local culture is essentially oral which makes it hard to provide written documentation of any miracles that might have occurred.
As for Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan, he was born in 1869, and served as the Armenian Catholic bishop of Mardin when the storm of genocide swept away his people in the early 20th century.
Although he had always cultivated good relations with local authorities, to the point of receiving an honour from the sultan, he too was accused of "treason" by Turkish officials in 1915. Dragged to court, the chief of police, Mamdouh Bey, proposed that he embrace Islam, to save his life.
The prelate replied that he would never deny Jesus or betray the Church and that it was a joy for him to suffer any torture for Christ, even death. In prison, he consecrated bread for his fellow inmates, and would later be shot along with many other Christians.
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