Comparative perception of missionary action in Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia

The first evangelists in Oceania at the end of the 18th century were Protestants belonging to the Missionary Society of London and the Missionary Society of Boston and were followed by Anglicans and Presbyterians. The arrival of the first Catholic evangelists at the beginning of the 19th century was delayed by the French Revolution and the Empire wars. They were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (more commonly known as Picpusians), members of the Society of Mary (Marists) and were followed by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun. The difference between the two Christian denominations from a pastoral point of view stems from their different dogmatic approaches - Protestantism relies essentially on the Bible while Catholicism draws its beliefs from the Bible, Tradition and the Sacraments. The pastoral work carried out by Catholic missionary congregations varied according to the climate, geography, ethnic background, colonial presence, educational development, geographical origins of the missionaries themselves, history, and lastly the rules and spirituality adopted by each of these religious families