Welcome to Timor-Leste: Pope Francis begins the third leg of his Asian journey on a predominantly Catholic island in Southeast Asia. A flight of approximately three and a half hours brought Francis to the island, marking the third stop of his trip that will continue until next Wednesday, before concluding in Singapore. His agenda includes institutional meetings, such as a visit to President Ramos-Horta and a speech to the country’s authorities.
By: Vatican News
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One week into the apostolic journey of Pope Francis in Asia, he has reached the third out of four scheduled stops. At 2:20 PM, 7:20 AM in Italy, Francis landed in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia, where Catholics make up the majority of the population.
First Engagements
At the President Nicolau Lobato International Airport, the Pope was welcomed by the President of the Republic, José Manuel Ramos-Horta, and the Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão, as well as the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Wojciech Załuski. Two children in traditional attire presented flowers to Francis along with a tais, a traditional Timorese scarf.
Following the protocol with the execution of the honors in front of the Honor Guard assembled on the airport runway, the papal procession headed towards the nunciature. From there, Francis will depart by car shortly before 6 PM local time for the first events of this leg of the trip, including a welcome ceremony and a courtesy visit to the head of state, and later in the evening, a meeting with the political, diplomatic, and civil authorities of Timor-Leste.
