Pope’s visit to Timor-Leste ‘a gift of faith, hope and love’

On his arrival in Timor-Leste on 9 September, Pope Francis was greeted by President José Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and two children, who presented him with flowers and a ‘tais’—a traditional East Timorese scarf. Outside Dili’s International Airport, tens of thousands of people had been waiting to welcome the Pope, sheltering from the sun under yellow and white umbrellas.

Timor-Leste—where 96 per cent of the population is Catholic—is the only country with a Catholic majority in Pope Francis’ four-nation tour of South-East Asia and Oceania. The faith that sustained the people of Timor-Leste in their struggle for independence from Portugal in 1975 and Indonesia in 2002 should remain a source of hope as the country faces social, economic and environmental challenges, Pope Francis told his welcoming party. ‘You remained firm in hope even amid affliction and—thanks to the character of your people and your faith—you have turned sorrow into joy,’ he said. ‘May the faith, which has enlightened and sustained you in the past, continue to inspire your present and future … in conformity with the Gospel.’

Looking at your recent past, ... there is reason to be confident that your nation will likewise be able to face intelligently and creatively the difficulties and problems of today.

The Pope also called for the protection of young people, telling the gathered officials, ‘Let us not forget the many children and adolescents whose dignity has been violated’ and calling on the people of Timor-Leste to do ‘everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people’.

As he welcomed the pontiff, President Ramos-Horta told Pope Francis that the government is working to eradicate ‘multi-dimensional poverty, hunger and food insecurity, maternal-childhood malnutrition, violence of any kind, and different forms of exclusion and social marginalisation’. Providing education and support to the family is essential for the nation’s prosperity, Pope Francis said. ‘Looking at your recent past and what has been accomplished so far, there is reason to be confident that your nation will likewise be able to face intelligently and creatively the difficulties and problems of today,’ he told those gathered to meet him. ‘Trust the wisdom of the people.’

Pope Francis reassured the people of Timor-Leste that the Church will continue to support this process of renewal through its schools and the teaching of the Catholic faith.

Being cared for by God

On his second day in Timor-Leste, the Pope visited the Irmãs Alma School, where he met with students who are seriously ill or have severe disabilities. There, pointing to Silvano—a little boy who seemed to be peacefully sleeping—the Pope said, ‘We have to let ourselves be cared for, as [children] teach us, to let ourselves be cared for by God.

‘Look at his face; he is sleeping peacefully. Just as he allows himself to be cared for, we must allow ourselves to be cared for. To be cared for by God, who loves us so much. To be cared for by Our Lady, who is our Mother,’ the Pope said.

After the school visit, Pope Francis met with bishops, priests, religious and catechists at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where he said that the clergy must remain humble in their service of God’s people.

The fragrance of the Gospel must be spread in order to counter anything that humiliates, disfigures or even destroys human life.

‘The gesture that the faithful make here when they meet priests is meaningful: they take your consecrated hand and bring it to their foreheads as a sign of blessing,’ he said. ‘It is beautiful to see in this gesture the affection of God’s holy people, for the priest is an instrument of blessing … you should always bless and console; always be a minister of compassion and a sign of God’s mercy.’

In his address, Pope Francis also used the image of Timor-Leste’s famous sandalwood trees and their fragrance, comparing it to the fragrance of the Gospel. ‘Evangelisation occurs when we have the courage to “break” the jar containing the fragrance, breaking the “shell” that often closes us in on ourselves; of leaving behind a lazy and comfortable religiosity that only serves our personal needs,’ he said. ‘In particular, the fragrance of the Gospel must be spread in order to counter anything that humiliates, disfigures or even destroys human life; to counter those plagues that cause inner emptiness and suffering—such as alcoholism, violence and disrespect for the dignity of women.’

Becoming like children before God

To conclude his second day in Timor-Leste, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass at a park in Tasitolu, drawing approximately 600,000 people, nearly half the country’s population. Before the Mass, which took place near the coast and approximately 8 kilometres west of Dili, Pope Francis approached a long line of people who suffer from illness or live with some form of disability, blessing each of them.

Let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God—and before each other—to lose our lives, to give up our time, to revise our schedules, giving up something to help a brother or sister.

The prayers and readings at the Mass were taken from the votive Mass for the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the Mass, the Pope described Mary as ‘the Mother of a King, Jesus, who chose to be born small and to make himself our brother, entrusting his powerful action to the “yes” of a poor and innocent young mother’. He asked those in attendance to think how ‘an infant’s vulnerability carries with it a message so strong that it touches even the most hardened souls.’

In response, Pope Francis said, we should open ourselves to God and let him ‘heal our wounds, reconcile our differences and reorder our lives to create a new foundation for every aspect of our personal and communal life … Let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God—and before each other—to lose our lives, to give up our time, to revise our schedules, giving up something to help a brother or sister become better and happier.’

Pope Francis also used the ‘Kaibauk’ and the ‘Belak’—two traditional East Timorese symbols—to speak about the ‘strength’ and ‘tenderness’ of a father and mother. The Kaibauk represents a water buffalo’s horns and is worn as a headdress. It ‘speaks of strength, energy and warmth,’ he said, ‘and can represent the life-giving power of God.’ The Belak represents the moon and is worn as a necklace, speaking of ‘peace, fertility and sweetness’ and symbolising ‘the tenderness of a mother, who by her delicate loving gestures makes whatever she touches glow with the same light she receives from God’.

‘May we reflect in the world the strong and tender light of God’s love,’ Pope Francis prayed at the end of his homily. The Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Caitlin Wilson, who was in attendance, described it as a ‘moving Holy Mass’ and a ‘historic day for Timor-Leste’.

Continuing the work of God

On his third and last day in Timor-Leste, Pope Francis spoke to an audience of about 3,000 people, young and old, who gathered inside and outside Dili’s Convention Centre for the last address of the Pope’s visit to their country. Just as their grandparents and parents fought for independence, the young people of East Timor must work to consolidate democratic institutions and respond to the needs of the people, Pope Francis said. ‘It is now up to the young to continue the work, guided by the Gospel, to build a society where justice, cooperation, honesty and unity reign.’

Fr Francisco Indra do Nascimento, Executive President of the Timor-Leste National Catholic Youth Commission, told Pope Francis that his visit to the country ‘represents a gift of faith, hope and love, and encourages [people] to fight for life so that it may become a paradise, full of respect, charity, fraternity, friendship and mutual love—of tangible actions for the homeland and for the beloved Church in particular,’ he said.

Young people are the majority of the population of this land, and your presence fills this land with life, fills it with hope, and fills it with future.

Pope Francis told the gathered young people, ‘A society that has so many children must take care of them. And one that has so many elderly—who are the memory—must respect and care for them.

‘I will never forget your smiles! Never stop smiling!’ he said. ‘You, young people, are the majority of the population of this land, and your presence fills this land with life, fills it with hope, and fills it with future. Do not lose your enthusiasm for the faith.’

Pope Francis bid farewell to Timor-Leste at a departure ceremony at Dili’s international airport, before flying to Singapore for the fourth and final stage of his 45th apostolic journey abroad—the longest of his pontificate.