Historic Papal Mass Draws Unprecedented Crowd in East Timor

Around 600,000 people, nearly half the population, attended Pope Francis' Mass in East Timor. The event, held at the same site as St. John Paul II's 1989 Mass, marks the largest papal gathering relative to population. Visitors included faithful from Indonesia's West Timor.

A staggering 600,000 people flocked to attend Pope Francis' Mass in East Timor, equating to nearly half of the nation's population. The Vatican, represented by spokesman Matteo Bruni, provided these numbers based on estimations from local organizers.

The Mass took place in Tasitolu park, the same significant location as St. John Paul II's historic 1989 Mass. This makes it the largest papal gathering ever in terms of population proportion, standing at 1.3 million.

Notably, the congregation included devoted individuals from neighboring West Timor, Indonesia. Pope Francis' visit to East Timor forms part of his broader tour across Asia.

(With inputs from agencies.)