Catholic faithful wait for Pope Francis to lead a holy mass at Taci Tolu Park in Dili, East Timor, September 10, 2024. YASUYOSHI CHIBA/Pool via REUTERS
DILI (Reuters) -An estimated 600,000 people in East Timor, just under half its population, turned out in the baking heat on Tuesday for a Mass with Pope Francis at a coastal park synonymous with the country's long struggle for independence from Indonesia.
Filling a wide, dusty area where Indonesian forces buried slain Timorese independence fighters, people arrived as early as 1 a.m. and sat on the ground, many braving the sun for hours in temperatures as high as 32 degrees Celsius (90°F).
