Happy to be here: Francis waving to a procession of children as Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta sits beside him during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Dili. — AP
POPE Francis arrived to a rock star welcome in Timor-Leste, where he will rally the Catholic-majority nation’s faithful with a huge Mass expected to attract more than half the country’s 1.3 million population.
Catholic devotees have clamoured to see Francis as he headed to Asia’s youngest nation – making pilgrimages from faraway towns and hours-long crossings of its border with Indonesia.
Tens of thousands lined the streets of the capital Dili yesterday, waving flags and umbrellas in the Vatican colours while screaming as the 87-year-old was driven through the streets flanked by security.
Francis appeared to be in good spirits after landing from Papua New Guinea for the third stop of a gruelling 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, waving and smiling to a swarm of devotees trying to catch a glimpse of him. He also stopped briefly to bless a baby handed to him.
The pontiff was gifted a traditional scarf after arriving to an honour guard and greetings by President Jose Ramos-Horta at Dili’s airport, which is closed to civilian flights for three days.
Once in a lifetime: (From left) Catholic faithful gathered along a street in Dili cheering as the pope passes through; Francis hugging a child during the welcoming ceremony. (below) — AFP/AP
He was set to address Timor-Leste officials and diplomats later yesterday but the trip’s highlight will be the colossal Mass today, which is expected to draw 700,000 worshippers.
In the small seaside city sandwiched between mountains and the turquoise waters of the Ombai Strait, celebrations over the three-day visit were already in full swing.
The city had an expensive makeover before the visit and authorities have relocated poor street-dwellers, including vendors in areas where Francis will travel, prompting criticism on social media.
Rights groups say some makeshift homes built by the poor were demolished in preparation for the Mass. The government says they were erected illegally.
Timor-Leste has a complex history marked by centuries-long Portuguese rule, decades of occupation by neighbouring Indonesia, and a United Nations-backed referendum that allowed it to break free.
Francis is the first pope to visit the country, where about 98 percent of its 1.3 million people are Catholics, since its independence more than two decades ago.
The country became formally independent in 2002, emerging from a brutal Indonesian occupation that left more than 200,000 Timorese dead.
The most sensitive issue facing the pontiff on this trip is child abuse cases linked to Timor-Leste’s clergy in recent years.
In a speech to a smaller crowd of officials yesterday night, he tackled the most sensitive issue of his trip head-on.
Participants dressed in traditional attire waiting outside the palace for a glimpse of the pontiff.
“Let us not forget the many children and adolescents whose dignity has been violated.
“The phenomenon is manifesting all over the world,” the pope said during a speech in the capital Dili.
“We are all called to do everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people.”
He did not mention a specific case or acknowledge any Vatican responsibility. — AFP
