Pope lands in East Timor for first papal visit since independence

Pope Francis arrived Monday in East Timor, where he will rally the Catholic-majority nation's faithful with a huge mass on the third stop of a gruelling 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.

Catholic devotees have clamoured to see Francis as he headed to Asia's youngest nation -- making pilgrimages from faraway towns and hours-long crossings of its border with Indonesia.

The 87-year-old arrived in East Timor's capital Dili around 2:20 pm (0520 GMT) from Papua New Guinea.

"This will be a proud moment for me and my family, I think also for all the people of Timor-Leste," said a waiting 42-year-old Nunsia Karmen Maya.

In Dili, a small seaside city sandwiched between mountains and the turquoise waters of the Ombai Strait, preparations for his three-day visit were in full swing.

Thousands of Catholic faithful lined the city's streets to welcome the pontiff, holding up yellow-and-white umbrellas in the Vatican's colours.

Vatican flags flew high across the city, which has had an expensive makeover before the visit.

Authorities have relocated poor street-dwellers, including vendors in areas where Francis will travel, prompting criticism on social media.

Rights groups say some makeshift homes built by the poor were demolished in preparation for the mass. The government says they were erected illegally.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao swept the streets with locals to help clean up the city before the pontiff's arrival.

- Complex history -

East Timor has a complex history marked by centuries-long Portuguese rule, decades of occupation by neighbouring Indonesia, and a United Nations-backed referendum that allowed it to break free.

Francis is the first pope to visit the country, where about 98 percent of its 1.3 million people are Catholics, since its independence more than two decades ago.

The highlight will be the colossal mass on Tuesday, which is expected to draw 700,000 worshippers.

It is the third leg of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, the longest of his papacy, which has already taken in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and will conclude in Singapore.

The country became formally independent in 2002, emerging from a brutal Indonesian occupation that left more than 200,000 Timorese dead.

Locals said they want the pope to bring a message of harmony -- as he did in Indonesia last week.

"I hope that through this visit Papa Francisco will bring a message of peace," said Francisco Amaral da Silva, a 58-year-old lecturer.

Francis' schedule includes meetings with Jesuits, children and the Catholic faithful.

It is not only Timorese from around the country who will join the huge mass, to be held in a wide wetland area known as Tasitolu.

A local immigration office in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province predicted many people would cross the border for the visit.

- Red carpet -

For Catholics there, the hours-long bus ride to Dili was a shorter journey -- and cheaper -- than travelling to the papal mass in the Indonesian capital Jakarta last week.

East Timor is one of the world's poorest countries, heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues that experts say could be depleted within years.

Despite that, the government is rolling out the red carpet for Francis.

It has allocated $12 million for the visit, including $1 million for the mass altar alone -- which stood beside a large crucifix.

With around 42 percent of East Timor's population living below the poverty line, Francis is likely to touch on economic and social issues.

Others were using his visit to sell pope merchandise, helping them make a quick buck.

Teacher Silverio Tilman, 58, set up a stall selling pope t-shirts, raking in more than $600 in two days -- double the average monthly salary.

"We prepare these items, in case the pilgrims need them to attend the holy mass. We are not seeking big profits," he said.

Among its problems, East Timor suffers corruption, gender-based violence, domestic abuse of persons with disabilities, and child labour.

But the most sensitive issue facing the pontiff is child abuse cases linked to the clergy in recent years.

Advocacy groups have called for Francis to speak out on the issue, but his official schedule currently includes no events with victims.

Cases include Nobel-winning Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, who the Vatican secretly punished over allegations he sexually abused young children for decades.