DILI, East Timor (Reuters) - The first ever cardinal of Roman Catholic-majority East Timor had barely had time to process the news of Pope Francis' death when he received the summons to attend the conclave that will elect the new pontiff half a world away in the Vatican.

More than 97% of East Timor's 1.3 million people are Roman Catholics, making it one of the largest majorities in the world. Along with the Philippines, it is also one of only two predominantly Christian countries in Asia.