Dili (East Timor) (AFP) - Pope Francis was set to hold one of the biggest masses of his papacy in East Timor on Tuesday, with more than half of the country’s 1.3 million people expected to attend.

The 87-year-old pontiff landed to a rock star welcome Monday in the capital Dili, where tens of thousands of jubilant devotees lined the streets screaming and waving flags as he drove through the seaside city.

“I am so happy for everyone in East Timor. Now I want to see Papa Francisco here and give my present to Papa Francisco. I am so emotional,” said Mary Michaela, 17, who said she would attend the pope’s mass on Tuesday.

The pope has so far appeared in good health during the gruelling 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific that has taken in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and will conclude in Singapore.

He addressed the country’s leaders on his first day in East Timor, hailing a new era of “peace” since independence in 2002, but called on them to prevent abuse against young people in a nod to recent Catholic church child abuse scandals.

The main event of his trip to the Catholic-majority country will be the mass in Dili’s wetland area of Tasitolu.

Tens of thousands had already gathered there early on Tuesday, holding yellow-and-white umbrellas with the Vatican logo to protect themselves from the beating sun, with firefighters spraying water on them.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao joined the crowds, conducting them in a singalong on Tuesday afternoon.

“I am grateful I can join this Holy Mass regardless of my age. I don’t know if I would still be able to come if the pope visited even a few years later,” said 49-year-old housewife Felicidade do Rosario.

Around 300,000 people have officially registered for the mass but hundreds of thousands more are expected outside, bringing an expected total of between 700,000 and 750,000, according to the Vatican and organisers.

“It’s like we have a new spirit for our life… for the people, for the children,” said Natercia do Menino Jesus Soares, 33, who arrived seven hours before the mass was due to begin.

The sheer number of people caused at least one local telecom company to inform customers their signal would be affected by the pope’s visit.

Around a million people gathered in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa for Pope Francis’ visit in 2023.

The record is still held by the Philippine capital Manila, where more than six million people are believed to have gathered to see Francis in 2015.

- Cost criticism -

Francis called for the “perfume of the Gospel” to be spread against alcoholism, violence and a lack of respect for women during a speech to the Catholic faithful at a cathedral in Dili on Tuesday morning.

The pope’s schedule on Tuesday also included meetings with Jesuits and children with disabilities.

“It is a pride to us. It is a blessing of God to us, the people in this land,” said Atanasio Sarmento de Sousa, a 46-year-old member of the committee organising the pope’s visit.

It is only the second papal visit to East Timor, where around 98 percent of the population is Catholic, after John Paul II in 1989.

East Timor’s capital had a $12 million makeover before the visit, including $1 million spent on an altar where the pope will sit on stage next to a crucifix.

The cost has attracted criticism because East Timor is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Rights groups also say some makeshift homes were demolished in preparation for the mass. The government says they were erected illegally.

Authorities have also relocated street vendors in areas where Francis will travel, prompting further criticism on social media.

However, others who had travelled to see the pope were more optimistic about the occasion.

“There are still many problems that need to be taken care of, but the pope has come here to bring joyful news,” said Felix Kosat, an Indonesian Catholic priest.

“So let’s make changes.”