Pope Francis recently visited the small island nation of East Timor, celebrating a Mass for around 600,000 people - roughly half the population. This event represents the biggest turnout for a papal event in terms of the proportion of the national population. The Pope's visit to East Timor is significant as the country gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after a brutal, decades-long occupation and is among the most Catholic nations in the world. The Pope addressed the crowd, expressing his wishes for peace and encouraging the Timorese to keep having many children. He also met with Catholic faithful at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, praising women of the church and acknowledging an 89-year-old layman who has worked as a catechist.