(26 Apr 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dili, East Timor – 26 April 2025
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Various of faithful gathered, holding pictures and candles
2. Various of faithful singing during Mass
3. Mid of Archbishop of Baucau, Dom Leandro Maria Alves, leading the Requiem Mass
4. Wide of Mass
5. Wide of East Timor’s Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão (left) and Maria Alves bowing in front of picture of Pope Francis
6. Mid of faithful
7. Close of candle
8. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Elvira Carvalho De Sousa, Catholic faithful:
“As Christians, seven months ago we felt very happy, but today we feel very sad because what happened seven months ago (Pope Francis’ visit) was really memorable. That’s what makes us sad.”
9. Mid of faithful during Mass
10. Close of woman crying
11. Close of rosary beads
12. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Mario Costa Colho, Catholic faithful:
“Today, we came to pay our respects during the funeral of Pope Francis. We are very sad because this place once united us. We were touched when Pope Francis expressed his love for East Timor. As Timorese, we feel the great loss of a kind and loving father.”
13. Wide of Mass
14. Pastors leaving altar
15. Various of faithful holding statue of Francis
16. Various of faithful eating communion wafers
17. Mid of candles
18. Faithful gathered after Mass
19. Various of faithful holding picture of Francis holding East Timor flag
STORYLINE:
Tens of thousands of faithful in East Timor attended a Mass for Pope Francis on Saturday, as his funeral was held in the Vatican.
Many at the Requiem Mass, held at a seaside park near the nation’s capital, expressed their sadness over Francis’ death and recalled his visit to the overwhelmingly Catholic southeast Asian country back in September.
"As Christians, seven months ago we felt very happy, but today we feel very sad because what happened seven months ago was really memorable. That’s what makes us sad," said Elvira Carvalho De Sousa, recalling the pope’s visit.
His first visit drew a massive crowd, with over 600,000 faithful reportedly attending the main Eucharistic celebration at the Esplanade of Tasitolu near Dili.
Many of the mourners on Saturday stood under yellow and white umbrellas — the colours of the Holy See flag — as Timorese shielded themselves from the afternoon sun awaiting the Requiem.
Some prayed for the late pontiff in tears when the Mass began just after darkness fell.
Francis was following in John Paul’s footsteps during his visit to cheer on the nation two decades after it became independent from Indonesia in 2002.
Nearly 97% of its 1.3 million population are Catholic.
The government of East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, has declared seven days of national mourning and ordered national flags flown at half-mast.
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