Today: Saturday, 21 December 2024 year

The Pope arrived on a visit to East Timor.

The Pope arrived on a visit to East Timor.

Pope Francis has arrived in East Timor, where he plans to hold a large-scale mass for the faithful of the Catholic country.

Thousands of faithful Catholics lined the streets of the city (Dili) to greet the pontiff, holding yellow and white umbrellas in the colors of the Vatican. Vatican flags flew throughout the city, which underwent costly changes ahead of the visit. Rights groups say some temporary homes built by poor people were demolished in preparation for the mass. The government claims that they were built illegally.

Francis is the first pope to visit East Timor since the country gained independence more than two decades ago. About 98% of the country’s 1.3 million people are Catholic.


The highlight of the visit will be Tuesday’s mass, which is expected to attract 700,000 worshippers.