Pope Francis in Timor Leste: 'A City That Teaches Children to Smile Has a Future'

TEMPO.CO, Dili - Pope Francis smiled at an altar boy—a priest's attendant during mass—who was holding a loudspeaker for him. The leader of the world's Catholics then waved to the more than 700,000 people who filled Tasitolu Square in Dili, Timor Leste. This afternoon, September 10, 2024, the pope concluded the grand mass.

Before delivering his closing remarks and ending the service, he shared his impressions of the country that gained independence in 2002. He stated that the most remarkable aspect of Timor Leste was not its sandalwood or the fish in the sea, despite their exceptional quality.

“The most beautiful thing about Timor Leste is the smiles of the children. I see so many children,” he said on Wednesday.

Francis emphasized that Timor Leste, as a "young" nation, must prioritize the well-being of children. He conveyed a similar message in a speech at the Timor Leste Presidential Palace on Monday, September 9. He asserted that the state must champion the lives of children and adolescents as the future of civilization rests in their hands.

Pope Francis encouraged Timor Leste to address issues of violence and sexual abuse affecting children. “A city that teaches its children to smile is a city that has a future,” he proclaimed during the mass.

Tears and Anticipation

Throughout the mass, many people shed tears. Wearing rosaries (necklaces for praying to the Virgin Mary), the people gazed intently at the towering white altar in front of the square. There, Pope Francis wearing an ivory white cassock, presided over the service.

Nearly in the last row, a thousand people from Indonesia solemnly followed the mass. They had traveled from Atambua and Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. The mass in Timor Leste was not only attended by local residents but also by individuals from various regions in eastern Indonesia.

Julio Elio shared that he had arrived on September 9 and stayed in a barrack prepared for Catholics, 500 meters from the square. He walked from the barracks in the morning until noon, standing for hours to attend the mass with the Holy Father.

“This is an opportunity that I may only experience once in my lifetime. Even if my legs cannot stand, I will persevere,” Julio said.

Like Julio, Melkianus Bere came to Timor Leste to attend the mass he had been anticipating for decades. “The last pope [who visited East Timor, now Timor Leste] before Pope Francis was Pope John Paul II. It took 35 years for a pope to visit here,” Julio remarked.

The congregation did not immediately disperse after Pope Francis concluded the mass. The people gathered in the square sang hymns while waving the Timor Leste and Vatican flags. “Até logo, Padre Papa (see you later, Holy Father),” the congregation chanted in Portuguese. They accompanied the pope back to the Apostolic Nunciature with a hymn entitled "Christ Victorious".

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA

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