Pope Francis drew an estimated 600,000 people to his final Mass in East Timor, a turnout exceeding half the nation’s population. The event, held at Tasitolu Park, the site of a 1989 Mass by St. John Paul II, was a testament to the deep Catholic faith of the Timorese people and the significance of the papal visit. Francis’s visit comes two decades after East Timor gained independence, and he spoke of the nation’s progress while also calling for strengthened public institutions and care for the vulnerable.