A wave of anticipation has accompanied the imminent arrival of Pope Francis in predominantly Roman Catholic East Timor, also known as Timor Leste. But just outside the capital, Dili, a massive construction project undertaken for the pontiff's visit has stirred up controversy.
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00:00It's a massive structure right on the outskirts of Timor-Leste's capital, Dili.
00:06A couple of months before the Pope's arrival, construction began in the tiny island nation
00:11on an altar that costs around one million US dollars.
00:16Many locals are angry, particularly those faced with eviction to make way for the altar,
00:21like this family.
00:23They have been told to leave and close their shop.
00:27We've been here for so long.
00:30Our children were born here.
00:32We can't sleep at night because we don't know where we will go.
00:36No one can tell me.
00:39With their deeply rooted Catholic faith, the Pope's visit is the highlight of the year
00:43for many here.
00:45But in a move that could have come straight out of the Bible, locals say, the government
00:50marked all houses to be demolished with red numbers.
00:54Their request for an interview went unanswered.
01:00The government doesn't care where we go.
01:03They just want us gone.
01:06We're supposed to get money, but it's unclear how much.
01:09The order is to pack up and leave.
01:13Where we'll live next is our problem.
01:19Work on the altar has almost finished.
01:23Some houses have been demolished, but the Baros family has been spared for now.
01:30The local church says it's only responsible for the construction, not the evictions.
01:37It was before, nothing there.
01:39Nothing.
01:40I mean, it belonged to the government.
01:41The government knows how to run the place.
01:45Because it was being occupied by the people.
01:48But this is the problem with the government.
01:52The church has nothing to do with the organization of the government.
01:57Tiny East Timor has a special connection to the church in Rome.
02:01Back in October 1989, Pope John Paul II visited East Timor when the country was still under
02:07Indonesian occupation.
02:10He held a mass at this altar not far away.
02:14Afterwards, the assembled crowd protested against the Indonesian occupiers.
02:20At the time, you know, it's almost impossible to have a big gathering like this.
02:27Because people are afraid of being arrested by the Indonesian military.
02:33Because everybody here fights for independence.
02:36Even the church, the priests, the nuns, even the young people.
02:41Everybody fights for independence, you know.
02:44And church has been very helpful.
02:48Last time the papal visit led to change.
02:51This time it's leading to evictions.
02:55Like many other Catholics here, Candido Barros still wants to welcome the Pope with open
03:01arms.