Pope Francis has today arrived in Timor-Leste, the only nation on his itinerary where Catholics are an overwhelming majority.
In this Historic Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, the -12-day trip has seen Pope Francis travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and now Timor-Leste and will end with Singapore.
The papal plane, chartered by Air Niugini, landed in Dili, at the capital city’s Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport at 2:20 pm local time after a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Port Moresby.
Waiting on the tarmac were Timorese President José Manuel Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, along with delegations and 14 people in traditional attire representing the 14 municipalities of the country.
He was presented with a traditional Timorese scarf that is put around by two young girls.
Pope Francis then left the airport on the Popemobile transferring him to the Apostolic Nunciature in Dili, where he takes a short rest before heading to the Presidential Palace for the official welcome ceremony and his first official speech to Timor-Leste’s authorities.
Pope Francis is the second Pontiff to visit Timor-Leste, after St. John Paul II, who travelled there on 12 October 1989 as the Asian nation planned to gain independence from Indonesia in 2002.
The central theme of the Papal visit is, “May your faith be your culture”, underscores the ongoing importance of the Catholic faith for the Timorese people, who were actively supported by the Church during their struggle for freedom from the Indonesian rule.
The country of just 1.3 million people is the second-most Catholic country in the world, with 97% of the population identifying as Catholic, the highest share outside of the Vatican
The government of East Timor allocated USD12 million Pope Francis’ first visit to the deeply devout country, an amount which has been criticized as an exorbitant burden given it remains a small economy and one of Asia’s poorest nations.
The pontiff’s visit also puts fresh scrutiny on the scourge of sexual abuse in the church and on whether Francis will directly address the issue while he’s in East Timor, as he has done in other countries.
By Our Reporter
9th Sept 2024
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