International

The pope celebrates a mass in the capital of East Timor for 600,000 people, half of the country’s inhabitants

The pope celebrated a mass on Tuesday on the esplanade of Taci Tolu, in Dili, on his second day of visit to East Timor, in which 600,000 faithful participated, half of the 1.3 million inhabitants of the country considered the most Catholic in the world, not counting the Vatican.

The country’s authorities reported that on the esplanade and in the adjacent areas the presence of about 600,000 people was calculated in one of the most massive events of the pontificate of Francis in proportion to the number of inhabitants.

Already from this Monday, the inhabitants of Dili and Timorese arrived from all over the country concentrated in this natural space where St. John Paul II also celebrated a mass in 1989, when East Timor was still a province invaded by Indonesia and that put the world’s demands for independence in the spotlight.

Francis was greeted by a tide of yellow and white umbrellas, the colors of the Vatican, in a totally festive and euphoric atmosphere in this place, where the guerrillas were buried in mass graves and independence was proclaimed after 25 years of war and the 1999 referendum.

To Taci Tolu arrived not only the inhabitants of the capital but from all parts of the country and also some pilgrims from Indonesia, from nearby West Timor and Australia, most of them dressed in commemorative T-shirts of the trip and that could be observed throughout the city, for which it has become one of the great events in the history of the young nation.

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Upon arrival, the pope was tealed with traditional dances and greeted some of those present before the mass.

Due to the heat, he walked on the esplanade on a mobile to greet the faithful only after the ceremony.

In the homily, in Spanish and translated into tetum, Francisco spoke of the joy of the birth of a child and said that in East Timor “it is wonderful what happens when a baby is born” and that here in this country “there are many children” and it is “a young country in which in every corner life feels throbbing and bubbling.”

He also pointed out that “making room for the little ones, welcoming them, taking care of them, and also making all of us little before God and before the brothers, are precisely the attitudes that open us to the action of the Lord.”

A call for the protection of minors, which he also referred to yesterday, in a country where a few years ago the scandal of the abuses committed by the Nobel Peace Prize Bishop in 1996, Carlos Ximenez Belo, broke out.

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The pope continued his homily asking the faithful of one of the poorest countries in the world: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God and against each other; to lose our lives, to give our time (…) to welcome others.”

The pope will end his visit to East Timor this Tuesday with a meeting with young people and then fly to Singapore, the last stage of his tour of Asia and Oceania.

International

Spain’s irregular migrant population rises to 840,000, study finds

The number of migrants living in Spain without legal residency status continues to rise and has reached 840,000 people, with 91% originating from the Americas, particularly Colombia, Peru and Honduras, according to a report by the Spanish think tank Funcas (Foundation of the Savings Banks).

An estimated 17.2% of the non-EU foreign population living in Spain is in an irregular administrative situation. The estimate is based on the gap between the number of foreign residents effectively living in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), and those who hold a residence permit, benefit from international protection, or are in the process of obtaining it.

The data, as of January 1, 2025, point to a notable and sustained increase in irregular migration since 2017, when the estimated figure stood at around 107,000 people, representing 4.2% of the non-EU population residing in Spain.

By origin, migrants from the American continent stand out, totaling around 760,000 people, or 91% of all irregular migrants. Colombians account for nearly 290,000, followed by Peruvians with almost 110,000, and Hondurans with about 90,000. Migrants from Africa (50,000), Asia (15,000) and Europe (14,000) trail far behind.

The figures predate Spain’s latest immigration regulation reform, which came into force in May 2025 and introduces measures to ease access to legal status through residency ties. According to Funcas, the reform would, in principle, tend to reduce the number of migrants in an irregular situation.

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International

Historic snowstorm paralyzes Toronto after 60 centimeters of snow

Toronto, Canada’s largest city and the fourth most populous in North America, was largely paralyzed on Monday after a historic snowstorm dumped up to 60 centimeters of snow and sent temperatures plunging to -15 degrees Celsius, authorities said.

Late Sunday, as the scale of the snowfall became clear, city officials declared a climate emergency, triggering extraordinary measures including parking bans on several major streets to facilitate snow removal operations.

Toronto’s public transit authority reported that while some buses remain immobilized, subway and streetcar services are operating with relative normality, though localized disruptions may occur.

A similar situation is affecting the city’s commuter rail network, which remains operational but is experiencing significant delays on its main routes due to the severe weather conditions.

International

Venezuela frees at least 80 political prisoners, NGO says

At least 80 political prisoners were released on Sunday across Venezuela, human rights group Foro Penal reported, as the broader process of detainee releases continues at a slow pace under the interim government.

Foro Penal’s director, Alfredo Romero, wrote on social media platform X that verified releases took place nationwide and that the figure could rise as more confirmations are completed.

Attorney Gonzalo Himiob, also from Foro Penal, said the excarcelations occurred during the early hours of the day and emphasized that the number is not yet final pending further verification.

The releases are part of a series of steps announced by Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who took power after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026. Rodríguez has pledged a significant number of liberations but has been criticized by opposition groups and rights organizations for the slow and nontransparent nature of the process.

So far, the Venezuelan government reports that 626 detainees have been freed since December, though independent counts by human rights groups suggest the number of actual political prisoner releases is lower and that many remain behind bars.

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Families of those still detained have maintained vigils outside prisons, hopeful for further releases even as broader concerns about political imprisonment and due process persist.