Pope Francis has arrived in East Timor for the third stop on his journey to Asia. During his 12-day trip, the head of the Catholic Church will travel a total of 32,000 kilometers and spend 43 hours in a plane.
The head of the Catholics landed in the capital Dili 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 greet the pope.
Homeless people are banished from the streets
In preparation for the Pope’s visit, authorities had resettled poor Dili residents living on the streets. According to human rights groups, temporary shelters were also demolished. The approach drew criticism in online networks.
Francis is the first pope to visit the country since East Timor gained independence from Indonesia in 2002. The former Portuguese colony’s 1.3 million inhabitants are Catholic, with 98 percent. East Timor is one of the world’s poorest countries.
Millions spent on Pope’s visit
The government has spent $12 million on the pope’s visit. The altar alone for Tuesday’s mass with Francis, which is expected to draw 700,000 people, cost $1 million.
Francis began his 12-day visit to Asia and the Pacific in Indonesia on Tuesday, before traveling to Papua New Guinea.
After East Timor, Singapore is also on the Pope’s travel program, as he has been in poor health for some time.
Source: Krone
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