Nearly half the population of East Timor attended Pope Francis' mass.

An outdoor mass held by Pope Francis attracted almost half the population of East Timor this week.

Over 600,000 worshipers attended the first papal mass held by the pontiff in East Timor on Monday, despite the country's population being approximately 1.3 million.

Pope Francis encouraged the crowds to let their faith continue to guide and inspire them in their present and future, and to make their faith the foundation of their culture, principles, projects, and choices in accordance with the Gospel.

Officials often assert that East Timor is the world's second-most Catholic country, after Vatican City, a statement that is not taken lightly.

The Catholic faith is deeply ingrained in the culture and identity of over 97% of the East Timorese population.

Since gaining independence from Indonesia in 2002, East Timor has not hosted a papal visit, and the pope's arrival on Monday was the first.

In 1999, Pope St. John Paul II visited the region to encourage the Catholic community in their fight for independence.

The pope's visit brought significant global attention to the struggles of the Timorese, who faced violent suppression and persecution from Indonesian authorities at the time.

During his Monday visit, Pope Francis commended the Timorese people for their high birthrate and young population, with an average of nearly seven children per mother.

During the mass, Pope Francis expressed his wish for peace, for you to have many children, and for your smile to be passed on to your children.

Pope Francis's visit to East Timor is part of his four-country apostolic journey from Sept. 2 to Sept. 13.

The Holy Father has completed his visits to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and is now heading to Singapore for the final leg of his apostolic journey.

Pope Francis' 45th apostolic journey has been marked by the Holy See's efforts to engage with Catholics in areas that were previously overlooked by the Catholic leadership.

He traveled to Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population globally, to benefit only 3% of Indonesians who are Catholic Church members.

The 2015 mass in Manila, led by Pope Francis, attracted between six and seven million attendees, making it the largest papal event in terms of attendance.