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East Timor Pope Visit
A man stands near a banner showing East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta, left, shaking hands with Pope Francis, ahead of the pope's visit to the country, in Dili, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Activists criticize high cost of Pope Francis' visit to East Timor, one of the poorest nations

East Timor pulled out all stops for Pope Francis’ historic visit to one of the world’s youngest and poorest countries to the tune of $12 million, drawing rebuke from activists and human rights organizations

By NINIEK KARMINI
Published - Sep 09, 2024, 12:15 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 07:28 PM EST

DILI, East Timor (AP) — East Timor pulled out all stops for Pope Francis’ historic visit to one of the world’s youngest and poorest countries to the tune of $12 million, drawing rebuke from activists and human rights organizations in a nation where almost half the population lives in poverty.

The cost for the two-day visit starting Monday was approved by the government through the Council of Ministers in February, including $1 million to build an altar for a papal Mass.

Walls were still being dabbed with fresh paint and banners and billboards filled the streets of the seaside capital, Dili, to welcome the pontiff, who earlier visited Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

About 42% of East Timor’s population of 1.3 million live below the poverty line, according to the U.N. Development Program. Unemployment is high, job opportunities in the formal sector are generally limited and most people are subsistence farmers with no steady income.

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