No.-Some 600,000 people, nearly half the population of East Timor, packed a seaside park on Tuesday for Pope Francis‘ final Mass, held on the same field where St. John Paul II prayed during the nation’s fight for independence from Indonesia.
Although other papal Masses have drawn millions of people in more populous countries and there were certainly other nationalities attending Tuesday’s Mass, the crowd in tiny East Timor is believed to have represented the largest turnout for a papal event ever, in terms of proportion of the population.
In the homily, in Spanish and translated into Tetum, Francis spoke of the joy of the birth of a child and said that in East Timor “it is wonderful what happens when a baby is born” and that here in this country “there are many children” and it is “a young country where in every corner life is felt to pulsate and bustle.”
“The presence of so many young people and so many children is an immense gift, in fact, it constantly renews the freshness, energy, joy and enthusiasm of its people,” he added.
He explained that “making room for the little ones, welcoming them, caring for them, and making ourselves small before God and before our brothers and sisters, are precisely the attitudes that open us to the action of the Lord.”
To conclude, the Pope said: “Be careful, because I was told that crocodiles come to some beaches. Be careful. Be careful, be alert to those crocodiles who want to come and change the culture, who want to change your history. Stay faithful and do not approach those crocodiles because they bite hard and it hurts a lot.”
The Pope continued his homily by asking the faithful of one of the poorest countries in the world: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be afraid of making ourselves small before God and before one another; of losing our lives, of giving our time (…) to welcome others.”
Tasitolu Park was a sea of yellow and white umbrellas (the colours of the Holy See flag) as Timorese sheltered from the afternoon sun awaiting Francis’ arrival for the church service. Every now and then they were showered with water from tanker trucks filling the field with hoses.
“We are very happy that the Pope has come to Timor because it is a blessing for our land and our people,” said Dirce Maria Teresa Freitas, 44, who arrived at the camp at 9 a.m. from Baucau, more than seven hours earlier.
Tasitolu is said to have been a site where Indonesian troops disposed of the bodies of those killed during their 24 years of rule over East Timor. It is now known as “Peace Park” and features a larger-than-life statue of John Paul II to commemorate his 1989 visit, when the Polish pope shamed Indonesia for its human rights abuses and encouraged the overwhelmingly Catholic Timorese faithful.
John Paul II’s visit helped draw attention to the plight of the Timorese people and the oppression of the Indonesian regime, during which up to 200,000 people were killed over a quarter of a century.
Francis followed in the footsteps of John Paul II in rallying the nation two decades after its independence in 2002. East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with 42 percent of its 1.3 million people living below the poverty line, according to the United Nations Development Program.
But the Timorese are deeply loyal: the territory has been overwhelmingly Catholic since Portuguese explorers first arrived in the early 16th century, and today about 97% of the population is Catholic. They have flocked to greet the first pope to visit them as an independent nation.
Government officials said about 300,000 people had registered through their dioceses to attend the Mass, but President Jose Ramos-Horta said he expected 700,000 and the Vatican had predicted as many as 750,000.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni cited estimates by local organizers that 600,000 people attended Tasitolu Park and surrounding areas.
Attendees lined up before dawn to enter the park, on the coast about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from downtown Dili. Hours before the ceremony, roads leading to the site were clogged with cars, trucks and buses packed with people; others walked in the middle of the road, ignoring sidewalks. Temperatures reached 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit), and the wind chill was even more intense, with humidity above 50%.
“For us, the Pope is a reflection of the Lord Jesus, like a shepherd who wants to see his sheep, that is why we come to him with all our heart as our worship,” said Alfonso de Jesus, who also came from Baucau, the country’s second-largest city after Dili, about 128 kilometers (80 miles) east of the capital.
De Jesus, 56, was among the estimated 100,000 people who attended John Paul II’s 1989 Mass, which made headlines around the world because of a riot that broke out just as it was ending. John Paul II watched as plainclothes Indonesian police armed with batons confronted about 20 youths chanting “Long live independence!” and “Long live the Pope!”
The men unfurled a banner in front of the altar and threw chairs at police, the Associated Press reported at the time. One banner read “Fretilin welcomes you,” a reference to the independence movement that has fought Indonesian rule since East Timor was annexed in 1976 after Portugal dismantled its centuries-old colonial empire.
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2024-09-12 14:54:14
What is the significance of Pope Francis’s visit to East Timor in 2024?
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Pope Francis Draws Massive Crowd in East Timor, Celebrates Mass with 600,000 Faithful
In a historic event, Pope Francis celebrated Mass with an astonishing 600,000 people in East Timor, a tiny island nation in Southeast Asia. The massive gathering, which represented nearly half of the country’s population, marked a significant moment in the Pope’s visit to the region.
According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, local organizers estimated that 600,000 people attended the Mass at Tasitolu Park and surrounding areas [1]. The huge turnout was a testament to the country’s deep Catholic roots, with approximately 97% of the population
Pope Francis Timor-Leste
Pope Francis Concludes Historic Apostolic Visit to Timor-Leste
Pope Francis has concluded his apostolic visit to Timor-Leste, a small Southeast Asian country, where he drew a massive crowd of 600,000 people, nearly half of the country’s population, for his final Mass [[2], [3]]. The event was held at Tasitolu Park, the same field where St. John Paul II prayed during the nation’s fight for independence from Indonesia.
The Pope’s visit was met with immense enthusiasm and devotion from the Timorese people, with the crowd representing the largest turnout for a papal event ever, in terms of proportion of the population. The park was a sea of yellow and white umbrellas, the colors of the Holy See flag, as the faithful sheltered from the afternoon sun awaiting Francis’ arrival for the church service.
In his homily, Pope Francis spoke of the joy of the birth of a child and praised the young country, saying, “It is wonderful what happens when a baby is born” and that “there are many children” and it is “a young country where in every corner life is felt to pulsate and bustle”[[[1]]. He also emphasized the importance of making room for the little ones, welcoming them, caring for them, and making ourselves small before God and before our brothers and sisters.
The Pope warned the faithful against the “crocodiles” who want to come and change the culture and history of Timor-Leste, urging them to stay faithful and not approach those who would harm their way of life. He asked the faithful to not be afraid of making themselves small before God and before one another, of losing their lives, and of giving their time to welcome others.
The apostolic visit concluded with a final event at the Convention Centre in Dili, where the Pope met with around 3,000 young people[[[1]]. The visit was a historic moment for Timor-Leste, marking a significant milestone in the country’s Catholic heritage.
Keywords: Pope Francis, Timor-Leste, Apostolic Visit, Catholic Church, Tasitolu Park, Holy See Flag.