Pope Francis in East Timor, between spirituality and dialoguePope Francis is in Dili, capital of East Timor, the country that, along with the Philippines, has the largest number of Catholics in the region. The Pontiff, who will be 88 years old in three months, wanted to come to this periphery of the world to show his closeness.
It is the eighth day of the apostolic journey to Southeast Asia (September 2-13), and the penultimate stop until Wednesday, September 11, after visiting Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and before arriving in Singapore.
According to data from the United Nations and other sources, approximately 45 % of the population of East Timor is under 15 years of age. If the population up to 24 years of age is included, the percentage is even higher, at around 60-65 %.
Pope Francis and children
In the morning, the Holy Father was driven from the Nunciature where he is staying to the Casa Irmãs Alma, while on the sides of the road thousands of people awaiting his passage greeted him enthusiastically from the barriers with flags, songs and choruses.
The house to which the Pontiff was addressed is managed by the Congregation of the ALMA Sisters. Here they have been caring for the most disadvantaged children suffering from physical and mental disabilities for six decades.
A particularly touching moment was when three girls dressed in traditional costumes presented the Holy Father with a traditional scarf, the "tais", a symbol of hospitality and local culture.
During the event, the Superior of the Congregation presented to the Pontiff the charitable work done by the community, followed by traditional songs and dances. The Pope in his brief words said: "Love, what you find here is love". And he added, referring to the children: "They are the ones who teach us to let ourselves be cared for by God, and not by many whimsical ideas or plans". In other words, "to let ourselves be cared for by God who loves us so much, by the Virgin who is our mother".
At the end, Pope Francis signed a plaque commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the ALMA Congregation, a symbolic gesture that underlined his support and appreciation for the commitment of the nuns.
Pope Francis at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral
An hour later, he was already at the cathedral The Immaculate Conception, received with a floral gift, followed by a local dance and songs reflecting the fervor of the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians and catechists.
After being received by the Archbishop of Dili and Salesian Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, the president of the Episcopal Conference and the parish priest, a nun gave her testimony.
Sister Rosa told those present, who filled the cathedral: "There are many priestly vocations and a Church on the move, following in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier, "missionary par excellence of the East".
He was followed by the testimonies of a priest, Don Sancho, and a catechist of a certain age in his multicolored jacket. After these interventions, Francis thanked Bishop Norberto de Amaral for "the words he addressed to me, recalling that East Timor is a country on the edge of the world. And I like to say it, that is why it is at the center of the Gospel".
Recalling when Mary Magdalene anointed the feet of Jesus, he indicated that "the fragrance of Christ and his Gospel is a gift that we must safeguard and spread", without forgetting the origin "of the gift received, of being a Christian, a priest, a religious or a catechist". And although Timor has a long Christian history, "today it needs a renewed impetus of evangelization, so that the fragrance of the Gospel may reach everyone: a fragrance of reconciliation and peace after the long years of war; a fragrance of compassion, which helps the poor to rise up and arouses the commitment to improve the economic and social situation of the country; a fragrance of justice against corruption. And, in a special way, the perfume of the Gospel needs to be spread against all that humiliates, degrades and even destroys human life".
A Mass with 750,000 faithful that will go down in history
In the afternoon Pope Francis arrived in Taci Tolu, an area of great natural interest known for its landscapes and rich biodiversity.
On October 12, 1989, St. John Paul II celebrated Mass on this esplanade on the occasion of his visit to the country still under Indonesian occupation. In memory of this visit, the Timorese government erected a chapel and a 6 m high statue of the holy Polish Pope.
On this occasion, the esplanade of Taci Tolu was packed, with around 750,000 faithful, an image that testifies to the deep devotion of the East Timorese people. Many people had already gone there the day before to take their places, with white and yellow umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
Here Pope Francis celebrated a votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen, officiating the Eucharist in Portuguese, the historical and liturgical language of the country, with the prayers of the faithful (mambae, makasae, bunak, galole, baiqueno, fataluku).
In his homily, the Pontiff recalled that "in Timor Leste it is beautiful, because there are many children: you are a young country in which in every corner one feels life pulsating, exploding", but even more "it is a sign, because making room for the little ones, welcoming them, caring for them and making us all small before God and before others, are precisely the attitudes that open us to the action of the Lord".
"Let us therefore ask together in this Eucharist," the Pope concluded, "to be able to reflect in the world the strong and tender light of the God of love, of that God who, as we pray in the responsorial Psalm."
The Mass concluded with a tour of Francis in the popemobile amidst the joy of the crowd present, which manifested itself with stadium choruses, songs and various manifestations of affection for the Successor of Peter.
