Aussies volunteering in East Timor say excitement is growing for Pope Francis' visit

Michele Rankin, center, a volunteer with Palms Australia, is pictured in an undated photo posing with the Leohitu Women's Group in East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, in Southeast Asia. (OSV News photo/courtesy Michele Rankin)

SYDNEY (OSV News) -- Australian volunteers working in East Timor say excitement is growing ahead of Pope Francis' visit there in September, when more than half of the mostly Catholic population is expected to converge on the capital Dili.

The pope is scheduled to touch down on the afternoon of Sept. 9 as part of his 12-day apostolic visit to Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Around 700,000 people out of the population of 1.3 million are expected to attend an outdoor Mass in Dili on Sept. 10, including many from remote regions who will travel for hours on treacherous mountain roads to get there.

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is Southeast Asia's youngest country and its poorest. Almost 60% of the population is aged under 25, and 42% live below the poverty line, according to the United Nations.

Many are subsistence farmers and unemployment is high. But it's also a faith-filled nation with 90% of the population being Catholic -- and the practice of the faith is part of life.

Carolyn Hadley and Michele Rankin, both volunteers with Palms Australia, say during the papal tour they plan to stay in the communities to which they have been assigned.

Hadley is teaching English at the St. Maria Mazzarello Vocational School in Venilale, a 93-mile drive east of Dili.

"There's a lot of excitement and preparation, and a lot of formation being given to the students in the schools and churches about the pope, his life, encyclicals and letters," she said.

"I was in Dili recently and while it's always a bustling place, it seems to be even more so at the moment," Hadley acknowledged.

"Many will pilgrimage from country areas to the city to see him. Everyone will stay for the three days, at least. Honestly, the whole week will be wiped in terms of any other activities," she said.

"I've been fortunate enough to see the pope in St. Peter's Square a couple of years back, so I will probably stay here with a nun and a few other teachers for the students who can't just go home if the school is closed."

Rankin is based at a community learning center in Balibo, a remote town near the Indonesian border where locals regularly suffer power outages and limited access to water.

The center provides opportunities for locals to gain vocational skills training and services in hospitality, dental hygiene, English, computer literacy, women's health and more.

This is her second stint in the country. Her earlier assignment was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when most of the Palms volunteers were repatriated.

She said rates of infant and maternal mortality at the local hospital remain high. She also noticed a "dramatic" increase in children with dental decay and greater inequality in the distribution of wealth.

"I got quite a shock coming back to see what we were complaining about during COVID -- having no toilet paper -- compared with what they were dealing with," she said.

"They had absolutely nothing, yet they managed quite well. They were still going to church in droves as well." Rankin said.

"While I know they had deaths too, the locals say they think Australia generally had COVID a lot worse than they did over here."

Both women thought Pope Francis' visit would bring a much-needed boost to the economy, some infrastructure upgrades, particularly in Dili, and increased awareness about the beauty and needs of the developing country and its young, aspirational, population.

"But really, it's all about inspiration and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit," said Hadley.

"Having the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church here will be hugely inspirational and we will probably see a resurgence in religious vocations."

Rankin agreed it will be a "huge occasion" and a powerful spiritual experience for the whole country.

"When the World Youth Day cross visited our sub district people walked in the mountains for three hours to deliver the cross to the next point, singing and praying the whole time," she recalled.

"It was absolutely phenomenal. I get goosebumps just thinking about it," she said.