In a remarkable display of faith and national unity, an estimated 600,000 people — nearly half of East Timor’s population of 1.3 million — gathered at Tasitolu park on Tuesday for Pope Francis’ final Mass during his visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
The turnout, believed to be the largest proportion of a national population ever to attend a papal event, highlighted the overwhelmingly Catholic character of East Timor and the high esteem in which its people hold the Church. The Catholic Church played a crucial role in supporting the Timorese during their traumatic battle for independence from Indonesia and helped draw international attention to their plight.
The Mass was held in the same seaside park where St. John Paul II prayed 35 years ago during East Timor’s fight for independence. Now known as the “Park of Peace,” Tasitolu was once a site where Indonesian troops allegedly disposed of bodies during their 24-year rule.
Pope Francis delighted the massive crowd by staying at the park well after nightfall, circling the field in his open-topped popemobile. The screens of attendees’ cellphones lit up the evening as Francis addressed them in Spanish: “I wish for you peace, that you keep having many children, and that your smile continues to be your children.”
The park was a sea of yellow and white umbrellas — the colors of the Holy See flag — as Timorese shielded themselves from the afternoon sun. Water trucks provided occasional relief from temperatures reaching 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) with over 50% humidity.
Dirce Maria Teresa Freitas, 44, who arrived at the field seven hours early from Baucau, expressed the sentiment of many: “We are very happy that the pope came to Timor because it gives a blessing to our land and our people.”
Cardinal Carmo da Silva, the archbishop of Dili, drew parallels between John Paul II’s historic 1989 visit and Francis’ presence. He stated that John Paul’s visit “marked the decisive step in our process of self-determination,” while Francis’ visit “marks a fundamental step in the process of building our country, its identity and its culture.”
The Mass took place against the backdrop of East Timor’s ongoing challenges. Despite gaining independence in 2002, the country remains one of the poorest globally, with 42% of its population living below the poverty line, according to U.N. data. However, it boasts one of the world’s highest proportions of Catholics at 97%, a legacy of Portuguese colonization dating back to the early 1500s.
Francis’ visit follows in the footsteps of John Paul II, whose 1989 Mass made headlines when a riot broke out at its conclusion, drawing international attention to East Timor’s struggle for independence. The current papal visit, two decades after East Timor’s independence, serves to encourage the nation as it continues to develop and address ongoing challenges.
As Pope Francis concluded his visit, the massive turnout and emotional response of the faithful underscored the enduring influence of the Catholic Church in East Timor and its significant role in the nation’s history and ongoing development.
