After the warm welcome to His Holiness Pope Francis, who was greeted by thousands of people in the streets, the activities that followed his arrival saw massive participation from the population. The peak of this historic visit was the celebration of Holy Mass in Tasi Tolu, attended by an estimated 600,000 faithful, almost half of the Timorese population, in the largest religious event held in the country.

Pope Francis, in a moment of deep spirituality, addressed the crowd with a message of hope and faith: “How marvellous it is that here, in Timor-Leste, there are so many children: you are a young country, and we can see every corner of your land teeming with life. The Holy Father added: “A city that teaches these children to smile is a city with a future. I hope you continue to have many children. Take care of your children, but also take care of your elders, who are the memory of this land.”

His Holiness also emphasised the importance of preserving the culture and history of the Timorese people.

The celebration was marked by moments of emotion and unity, with thousands of faithful protected from the sun by umbrellas in the colours of the Vatican flag.  The readings were given in Portuguese, Tetum and six other local languages -Macassai, Mambai, Búnaque, Galóli, Baiqueno and Fataluco – reflecting Timor-Leste cultural and linguistic diversity.

At the end of the Mass, the Cardinal Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dili, Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, expressed the ‘deep gratitude’ of the Timorese people for the Holy Father’s visit, emphasising that this visit ‘marks a fundamental step in the process of building our country, its identity and its culture.’ 

After the Mass, Pope Francis travelled around Tasi Tolu in the papa mobile, blessing the faithful and showing his affection and closeness to the Timorese people. This visit is the first by a Pope to the country since John Paul II in 1989. 

The day before, at the official reception at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace, the Head of State, José Ramos-Horta, said that Pope Francis’ visit to the country comes at a “crucial moment” for the “collective future” and that he brings a “message of peace” and “reconciliation.” 

Also, during his visit, Pope Francis met with young people at the Convention Centre in the last public event of his apostolic journey. Addressing the Timorese youth, the Pope urged them: ‘Make noise and respect your elders!’ He emphasised that true freedom implies respect for others, reminding young people of the sacrifices of their ancestors and the importance of reconciliation. “You, in this smiling country, have a marvellous history of heroism, faith and reconciliation,” said the Pope, concluding his meeting with an appeal to build a future of fraternity and peace. 

After the meeting with the youths at the Dili Convention Centre, a farewell ceremony will follow at the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, before his departure for Singapore, where he will conclude his official visit to Asia, after an apostolic journey that also included visits to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.