Pope cheers East Timor’s recovery while acknowledging a bishop’s abuse scandal

DILI, East Timor (AP) — Pope Francis received a raucous welcome Monday as he arrived in East Timor to celebrate its recovery from a bloody and traumatic independence battle, even as he indirectly acknowledged an abuse scandal involving its Nobel Peace Prize-winning hero. Timorese jammed Francis’ motorcade route into town from the airport, waving Vatican and Timorese flags and toting yellow and white umbrellas — the colors of the Holy See — to shade themselves from the scorching midday sun. The overwhelmingly Catholic East Timor, one of the world’s poorest countries, had eagerly awaited Francis’ arrival, which came on the heels of the 25th anniversary of the U.N.-backed referendum that paved the way for independence from Indonesia. After Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence a decade later, Indonesia’s military responded with a scorched-earth campaign that destroyed 80% of the country’s infrastructure and shocked the world. John Paul’s visit, which culminated with a massive Mass on the seaside near Dili, helped draw international attention to the plight of the Timorese people and shine a spotlight on the oppressiveness of Indonesia’s military occupation. President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, two of East Timor’s most revered independence heroes, greeted Francis at the airport and met with him privately. In remarks to them and other dignitaries Monday, Francis applauded the Timorese people for having recovered from their “greatest suffering and trial” to put East Timor on the path of peaceful development. But he said new challenges and problems were now confronting the country, Asia’s newest, including emigration and poverty, as well as alcohol abuse and violence involving martial arts gangs. “In response, we are all called to do everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people.” It was a generic and indirect reference to “abuse.” But it nevertheless recalled the scandal involving Timorese Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo who, along with Gusmao and Ramos-Horta, is regarded as a hero for their efforts to support Timor’s independence. Despite the sanctions, which were confirmed at the time by the Vatican spokesman and reaffirmed last week ahead of Francis’ trip, many people in East Timor have stood by Belo, either dismissing, denying or diminishing the victims’ claims. Ramos-Horta, for his part, told The Associated Press last week that Francis’ visit was not the time to revisit the church’s scandals. While saying it was for the Vatican to manage, having the pope raise the matter of abuse during his visit “would be like trying someone twice,” he told AP. Francis’ vague reference to abuse appeared a diplomatic balancing act, acknowledging the abuse but respecting the desires of the government hosting him and sentiment of the local church and Timorese faithful. The issue is fraught too for the Vatican, since there has been no acknowledgment of what the Vatican knew and when about Belo, whose misconduct was reportedly an open secret in Timor for years. John Paul allowed him to retire as head of the Timorese church two decades early in 2002, at the young age of 54, but he was then sent to Mozambique, where he worked with children. The Vatican appears now to be trying to quietly ignore him: While an Aug. 28 report in Vatican News cited Belo for his help in the independence struggle, the official handbook for the Vatican delegation on the trip has scrubbed any mention of Belo from its short history on Timor and its battle for liberation. In his speech, Ramos-Horta also avoided any mention of Belo in thanking Francis for coming 35 years after John Paul. Only about 20% of East Timor’s people were Catholic when Indonesia invaded in 1975, shortly after Portugal abandoned it as a colony. Today, some 98% of East Timor’s 1.3 million people are Catholic, making it the most Catholic country in the world outside the Vatican. “As a Catholic, we are so happy with the arrival of the pope in East Timor,” said Jose de Araujo, who was among the throngs welcoming Francis. Francis will celebrate that Catholic heritage on Tuesday especially, when he celebrates a Mass on the same seaside esplanade where John Paul celebrated Mass in 1989 and encouraged the Timorese people. But Ramos-Horta said he expected 700,000, including from Indonesia’s West Timor, and the Vatican predicted 750,000. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://apnews.com/324de6a22f78299cf4bc4b664fc50de9