The mass is scheduled for September 10 in Dili, Timor-Leste.
Maria Fatima Rika, the administrator of the PLBN, said on Monday that 701 people had registered through the Archdiocese of Kupang and the Diocese of Atambua.
"Some others went alone without the group because they wanted to stay longer in Dili," she remarked.
Rika urged them to ensure they had all necessary documents to avoid delays during immigration checks.
Required documents include passports, participant cards issued by each diocese, and vehicle documents for those traveling by car.
Indra Maulana Dimyati, the head of the Atambua Immigration Office, stated that his office had deployed 80 personnel to assist Catholic pilgrims.
To expedite the document checking process, the immigration office added five more inspection counters, bringing the total to eight.
The Indonesia-Timor-Leste Border Security Task Force at Silawan Post, joined by officers from the East Tasifeto Police Sector, conducted a joint patrol along the Indonesia-Timor-Leste border in anticipation of Pope Francis' arrival in Dili.
Police Senior Commissioner Ariasandy, the head of public relations for the East Nusa Tenggara Police, stated that the joint patrol was intended to maintain security in the border region before Pope Francis' visit to Timor-Leste.
The patrol focused on preventing smuggling of goods, weapons, and other illicit activities.
Pope Francis is currently on his Asia-Pacific Apostolic journey, visiting four countries from September 3–13.
The journey began in Indonesia from September 3–6, followed by Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste on September 9–11, and concluding in Singapore. The 11-day trip is the longest of his 11-year papacy.
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Translator: Kornelis Kaha, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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