About 98% of its 1.3 million people are Catholic, making it the most Catholic country outside the Vatican.
Pope Francis received a warm welcome from the people of Timor-Leste on Monday as he arrived to support the country's recovery from a bloody independence battle and celebrate two decades of freedom from Indonesian rule.
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The pontiff arrived in Dili from Papua New Guinea, marking the third leg of his Asia and Oceania trip. President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, well-respected independence heroes, greeted him at the airport for a private meeting.
Later on Monday, Pope Francis is scheduled to address government officials and diplomats following an official welcome ceremony.
Timor-Leste, an overwhelmingly Catholic and one of the world’s poorest countries, awaited Pope Francis’ visit, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the UN-backed referendum that led to independence from Indonesia.
“Our great hope is that he may come to consolidate the fraternity, the national unity, peace, and development for this new country,” said Estevão Tei Fernandes, a university professor.
The atmosphere was vastly different from the last papal visit in 1989 by St John Paul II when Timor-Leste was still under Indonesian occupation. After an independence vote, Indonesia’s military launched a scorched-earth campaign, destroying 80% of the country’s infrastructure and killing as many as 200,000.
When Indonesia invaded in 1975, only about 20% of Timor-Leste's population was Catholic. Today, about 98% of its 1.3 million people are Catholic faithful, making it the most Catholic country outside the Vatican.
On Tuesday, the pope is set to celebrate this heritage with a seaside Mass near Dili, which authorities expect to attract about 700,000 attendees.