Pope Francis has landed in Timor-Leste, the only Catholic-majority country on his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.
The visit, which marks the first papal trip to the country since Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1989, is expected to draw around 700,000 people—more than half of the country’s population—to an open-air mass near the capital, Dili, later on Tuesday.
While the excitement surrounding the pontiff’s visit is palpable, it has also stirred controversy. Campaigners are urging Pope Francis to address a recent abuse scandal involving Nobel Peace Prize-winning Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, a prominent figure in the country’s fight for independence.
Bishop Belo has been accused of sexually abusing young boys, and although the Vatican imposed disciplinary measures against him in 2020, victims have yet to receive any compensation. Survivors and their advocates are calling for the Pope to address this issue during his visit.
In an open letter, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in Oceania emphasized the need for redress, asking Pope Francis to use Church funds to compensate the victims. While the Pope’s schedule does not include a meeting with the victims, it remains unclear if he will publicly acknowledge the scandal or whether Bishop Belo will make an appearance during the papal events.
The abuse scandal is not the only issue casting a shadow over the Pope’s visit. Authorities have faced criticism for demolishing homes and evicting dozens of families to clear space for the mass in Tasitolu, a wetland area outside Dili. The government argues that the residents were squatting on the land, but many of those displaced had moved from rural areas seeking work in the capital.
“They even demolished our belongings inside the house,” said Zerita Correia, one of the evicted residents. “Now we have to rent nearby because my children are still in school in this area.”
A government minister stated that the residents had been informed of plans to clear the area since September 2023, but the eviction has nonetheless sparked public anger.
Critics have also questioned the significant financial outlay for the Pope’s visit. The government has spent over $1 million on preparations, including the construction of a new altar. With nearly half of Timor-Leste’s population living below the national poverty line, some have voiced concerns that the money could have been better spent addressing the country’s pressing socio-economic challenges.
Timor-Leste, formerly known as East Timor, was a Portuguese colony until Indonesia invaded in 1975. During that time, only about 20% of the population identified as Catholic. Today, 97% of the country’s people are Catholic, making it the most Catholic country in Asia.
Pope Francis’s visit to Timor-Leste follows stops in Papua New Guinea, where around a quarter of the population identifies as Catholic, and Indonesia, where Catholics make up only 3%. He is set to conclude his Asia-Pacific tour in Singapore later this week.
Chioma Kalu
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