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East Nusa Tenggara Catholics aim for Dili to see the Pope
With only five buses available to travel the Kupang-Dili route, calls are mounting for the government to assist the swaths of people hoping to complete the nine-hour long journey to see the head of the Catholic Church.
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Pope Francis waves from the “popemobile” on April 9, 2023, as people crowd around him during his tour of St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican following the Easter Day Mass. (AFP/Andreas Solaro)
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housands of Catholics in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province are aiming to attend Pope Francis’ Mass in neighboring Timor Leste this September, as the quota for a similar event in Jakarta has presented limitations on attendance.
With only five buses available to travel the Kupang-Dili route, calls are mounting for the government to assist the swaths of people hoping to complete the nine-hour long journey to see the head of the Catholic Church.
The enthusiasm and anticipation of the Pope’s Asia tour is increasing two months prior to his arrival, including in Indonesia, where the 87-year-old pontiff is scheduled for a packed three-day itinerary that includes a Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) stadium in Central Jakarta.
However, with the stadium’s maximum capacity capped at just over 77,000 people, less than one percent of the 8.5 million Catholics in Indonesia will be able to get tickets for the Mass, which have been distributed to representatives of the country’s 40 dioceses.
Read also: Preparations pick up for Pope’s busy visit to Indonesia
Against this backdrop, thousands of people in the Catholic-majority province of East Nusa Tenggara have instead chosen to try their luck in Dili –some 400 kilometers away from the province’s capital of Kupang– where the Pope has been slated to hold another Mass just several days after the one in Jakarta.
Additionally, it will be cheaper for the people of East Nusa Tenggara to travel to Dili, with bus fees and accommodation estimated to be around Rp 2 million (US$123) for those who already have passports. Meanwhile, the travel cost to Jakarta could amount to Rp 8 million.
