Pope Francis has been visiting Timor-Leste amid his 12-day tour of South East Asia and Pacific nations.
The country, formerly known as East Timor, is predominately Catholic.
Scores of people thronged the streets of the capital Dili to welcome the Pope upon his arrival on Monday.
It is the first Papal visit to Timor-Leste since the country’s independence in 2002. Pope John Paul II toured in 1989 when it was still under Indonesian rule.
A local resident said ” I’m very happy that the Pope is here, bringing peace and love to Timor-Leste.”
The Pope then met with President Jose Ramos-Horta. In a press conference, he praised the people’s endurance to recover independence from Indonesia’s occupation of 27 years.
In a joint presser, he said, ” Timor-Leste lived through its years of passion and its greatest trial. It suffered. From there, the country was able to rise again, finding a path of peace and opening towards a new phase.”
He also praised the country’s effort to achieve reconciliation with Indonesia.
Later this week, the Pope heads to his final destination, Singapore.