Pope Francis arrives in East Timor on first papal visit since independence

JAKARTA: The people of East Timor excitedly welcomed Pope Francis on the streets of Dili on Monday, as he arrived for the first papal visit since the young country’s independence in 2002.

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is Francis’ penultimate stop on his four-nation tour of Asia. With around 97 percent of the population identifying as Catholic, the country of 1.3 million people has the second-largest Catholic population in the world, after the Vatican.

The 87-year-old pontiff was met at the airport by President Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta and a group of schoolchildren dressed in traditional outfits upon his livestreamed arrival. On his motorcade route into town, crowds waved Vatican and Timorese flags and toted yellow and white umbrellas — the colors of the Holy See — as they greeted the pope.

“We use this opportunity to show the world that even though we are one of the poorest countries (and) we still struggle … (the) Pope’s visit is one of our priorities,” Ross Merry da Gloria, a youth activist based in Dili, told Arab News.

She said she felt “very lucky and privileged,” to witness this papal visit, adding that many other Timorese traveled from other parts of the country to the capital for the occasion.

“With this visit, it’s like a faith booster for us,” Da Gloria said. “His visit gives us some hope for a better future.”

Francis’ visit came on the heels of the 25th anniversary of the UN-backed referendum that paved the way for East Timor’s independence from Indonesia.

He is the first pope to visit the country since then, following St. John Paul II’s trip in 1989.

The tiny Southeast Asian country has struggled with rebuilding its infrastructure and economy since independence. Some 42 percent of Timorese are living in poverty and around 47 percent of children under 5 years old are stunted because of malnutrition, according to UN and official data.

Afonso Corte Real, former advisor and chief of staff to former Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, said Francis’ visit would have a positive impact on citizens as the country struggles with unemployment, malnutrition and education opportunities.

“It is really a positive moment for us, especially to boost the morale,” Real told Arab News.

Hundreds of thousands of Timorese are expected to attend an open-air Mass with the pope on Tuesday in Taci Tolu before he leaves for Singapore the next day.

“The celebration of the Solemn Mass in Taci Tolu will be a special moment of faith and unity for all Timorese,” the government said in a statement.

Krishna Chandra Aditya, a university student from Dili, is among those who will participate in the Mass with his family members.

“The family (and I are) very happy because this is the pope’s visit, once in our lives,” Aditya told Arab News.

“I hope the pope’s visit can go smoothly and peacefully.”