DILI: Pope Francis hosted a mass for hundreds of thousands of devotees in Timor-Leste on Tuesday (Sep 10), rallying the faithful of the most Catholic country outside the Vatican in the tropical heat.
Pilgrims have clamoured to the capital to catch a glimpse of the 87-year-old pontiff, greeting him with a rapturous reception in a coastal area of Dili ahead of his sermon.
Around 600,000 people were in attendance at the mass as it got underway, the Vatican said in a statement, citing local authorities.
“I am so happy for everyone in Timor-Leste. Now I want to see Papa Francisco here and give my present to Papa Francisco. I am so emotional,” said Mary Michaela, 17, who said she would attend the service.
It was the main event of the third leg of Pope Francis’s 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, which has already taken in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and will conclude in Singapore.
Pope Francis used it to hail Timor Leste’s birth rate.
“How wonderful that here in Timor-Leste there are so many children. We can see every corner of your land teeming with life,” he said.
He then went off-script once the mass ended, turning to the country’s rising rate of crocodile attacks to seemingly make a point about imposing values on other nations.
“Be careful, because I was told that crocodiles are coming to some beaches,” he told the crowd.
“Be attentive to those crocodiles that want to change your culture, your history. And stay away from those crocodiles because they bite, and they bite a lot.”
As night fell, the elderly pontiff toured the crowd in his popemobile as the crowd shouted “Viva Papa Francesco!”.
Many pilgrims had arrived hours before his address to get a prime spot, waiting in the heat.
They held white-and-yellow Vatican umbrellas to protect themselves from the glaring sun, while firefighters sprayed devotees with water.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao joined crowds to lift spirits with a sing-along, before pouring water into the mouths of those waiting to perform for Pope Francis.
