A jubilant welcome
Pope Francis (87) has arrived in East Timor
Pope Francis has arrived in East Timor for the third stop on his trip to Asia. During his twelve-day trip, the head of the Catholic Church will cover a total of around 32,000 kilometers and spend 43 hours on a plane.
The head of the Catholic Church landed in the capital Dili early on Monday morning. At the airport, the Pope was greeted with military honors and received by President José Manuel Ramos-Horta. Thousands of Catholic faithful lined the streets of the city to welcome the pontiff.
Homeless banned from streets
In preparation for the Pope's visit, the authorities had relocated poor residents in Dili who were living on the streets. According to human rights groups, makeshift shelters were also demolished. The action provoked criticism in online networks.
Francis is the first pope to visit the country since East Timor gained independence from Indonesia in 2002. 98 percent of the 1.3 million inhabitants of the former Portuguese colony are Catholics. East Timor is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Millions spent on the Pope's visit
The government spent twelve million dollars on the Pope's visit. The altar alone for the mass with Francis on Tuesday, which 700,000 people are expected to attend, cost one million dollars.
Francis began his twelve-day visit to Asia and the Pacific region last Tuesday in Indonesia. He then traveled on to Papua New Guinea.
After East Timor, Singapore is also on the itinerary of the Pope, who has been suffering from health problems for some time.
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