Pope Francis  celebrated an open-air Mass for around 600,000 people in the Southeast Asian nation of East Timor on Tuesday.

The gathering took place at the Tasitolu coastal area, a place of historic significance where Indonesian forces were known to bury killed Timorese freedom fighters.

"I wish for you peace, that you keep having many children, and that your smile continues to be your children," Francis said.

About half of the small island nation's population attended the Mass.

The 87-year-old pontiff is on his longest overseas journey yet — a 12-day Asia-Pacific tour spanning the four nations of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

Why is the pope's visit to East Timor significant?

The pope arrived on Monday for the three-day visit

East Timor gained independence from its neighbor Indonesia in 2002 after a brutal, decades-long occupation. The country is among the most Catholic nations in the world, with the Vatican saying some 96% of Timorese are believers in the faith.

Francis is the second pope to visit the half-island nation. Late Pope John Paul II visited the nation pre-independence in 1989, which gave its movement a significant boost.

East Timor has been affected by abuse scandals over the last few years. In 2022, the Vatican confirmed that it sanctioned Timorese Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo following allegations he sexually abused boys in Timor in the 1990s.

Richard Daschbach, a defrocked American priest, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing minor girls in Timor a year before that.

"The pope must denounce the two men by name," said Anne Barrett Doyle, of the abuse tracking group BishopAccountability.org. "His words could have an enormous positive impact."

East Timor turns out in force to greet Pope Francis

Pope Francis was received by President Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta in the capital city's airport, accompanied by a group of schoolchildren dressed in traditional outfits. 

Thousands of Catholic residents lined the streets in welcome, holding yellow and white umbrellas in the Vatican's colors.

Authorities have relocated poor street-dwellers and vendors in areas the pope is expected to travel, sparking criticism. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao swept the streets with locals to help clean up the city before the pontiff's arrival.

East Timor is a poor and underdeveloped nation with 42% of its population living below the poverty line. Despite that, its government has allotted a $12 million (€10.84 million) budget for the visit, including $1 million (€0.9 million) for the mass altar alone. 

mk/rc (AFP, Reuters)