East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Monday the death of Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was a tremendous loss for the world, not just Christians.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who died on Monday, was the first pope to visit East Timor in over 30 years, following John Paul II, whose appearance gave the country's movement for independence from occupying Indonesia from 1975-1999 a historic boost.

The president of Asia's youngest, predominantly-Catholic nation told Reuters flags in East Timor would be flown at half-mast for one week to honor the late pontiff's life and a mass would also be held in his honor. "He leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity, a tremendous loss for the world, not only for Christians," he said in a phone interview.

Ramos-Horta praised Francis' courage to speak out "for the poor, for the weak...against arrogance, against abuse, against wars."

Former Portuguese colony East Timor is a half-island nation of 1.3 million people north of Australia and one of only two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia.

Over 600,000 people turned out to see Francis in East Timor's capital of Dili last year, during an international visit which included stops in neighboring Indonesia and Singapore.

"Look after these wonderful people," Ramos-Horta cited Francis' last words to him last year.