He will spend three days in this mostly Catholic country, which is among the poorest in the world, and participate in an outdoor Mass celebration that may draw as many as half of the 1.3 million people living there, according to the Vatican.
The 87-year-old traveled to East Timor from Papua New Guinea. Upon arriving at the country’s capital, Dili, he was greeted by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, President Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, and two ladies wearing traditional clothing. The women gave him flowers and a ceremonial scarf that was woven, which he momentarily donned.
As the pontiff departed, tens of thousands of people crowded the area surrounding the airport.
the Holy See’s colors in order to protect themselves from the blazing sun.
After a cruel, decades-long occupation, East Timor, which is located north of Australia, declared its independence from Indonesia in 2002.
In addition to commending the Timorese people for reaching a reconciliation with Indonesia, the pope said that they had overcome their “greatest suffering and trial” to set East Timor on the path to progress.
After John Paul II visited in 1989, while the nation was still struggling for its independence, Francis is the second pope to visit.
