East Timor turns out in force for Mass with Pope Francis
World
East Timor turns out in force for Mass with Pope Francis
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).
Many sheltered under umbrellas decorated in the white and yellow colours of the Vatican flag, while others carried signs asking for blessings and sang local melodies, in one of the largest ever turnouts as a proportion of a country's population for a Mass during a papal visit.
Rev. Pedro Amaral, one of hundreds of priests celebrating the Mass, said he came with 800 of his parishioners from Zumalai, a village about 140 km (85 miles) away.
"I am so happy because we never thought we would see the pope," said the priest.
School teacher Jamie Belo, 60, said he left home 12 hours before Mass to secure a spot to see the pope.
Former Portuguese colony East Timor is a half-island nation of 1.3 million people north of Australia and one of only two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia.
The Vatican estimated 600,000 had gathered for Tuesday's Mass. Many in the crowd on the outskirts of Dili, the capital, appeared young, with mothers and fathers holding babies or keeping children around their legs.
'TEEMING WITH LIFE'
East Timor, or Timor-Leste, lost at least 102,800 people in the 1975-99 conflict with Indonesia, according to the UN. It now has a median age of 20, according to official estimates.
"How wonderful that here in Timor-Leste there are so many children!" Francis said during his homily for the Mass, looking out over the crowd.
"Indeed, you are a young country, and we can see every corner of your land teeming with life."
In off the cuff remarks at the end of the event, Francis appeared to repeat earlier warnings about imposing Western liberal values on the rest of the world.
