Almost half the population of East Timor, the most Catholic nation outside Vatican City, attended a Mass presided over by Pope Francis on Tuesday on the third leg of his Asia trip.
An estimated 600,000 people packed the seaside park of Tasitolu near the capital, Dili, the Vatican told reporters, citing local authorities.
But the Vatican has also admitted it concealed sexual abuse by members of the clergy in East Timor, including key figures in the independence movement.
Francis, 87, is the first pope to visit East Timor since it became an independent state in 2002.
“We have the opportunity to see the pope face to face.”The Mass was held at the same site where St. John Paul II, the last pope to visit East Timor, celebrated a historic liturgy in 1989.
Persons:
Pope Francis, Francis, “ Viva, Francisco, ”, Lucrecia Nono, “, John Paul II, John Paul
Organizations:
Vatican City, Vatican, Catholic
Locations:
East Timor, Vatican, Asia, Tasitolu, Dili, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore
![Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png](/find/mix/0?q="Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png"){kind=link}