Why is Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit in the news?
Pope Francis has embarked on a 3-day visit to East Timor or Timor Leste, the most Catholic country in Asia on September 9, 2024. Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit is part of his 12-day Asia Pacific tour spanning four countries, namely, East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore, situated in South East Asia and Oceania. The 12-day long Pope Francis’ East Timor visit is significant as it also marks the longest overseas expedition so far undertaken by the 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church.
Almost 600,000 people, roughly about half of the East Timorese population, attended the Mass amidst the scorching tropical heat that took place on Tuesday in Peace Park, located near the capital city of Dili. Tuesday’s Mass, which witnessed the gathering of faithful in such huge numbers, is being hailed as one of the biggest Catholic events in terms of population outside the Holy See. Pope Francis’ East Timor visit also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the new nation’s independence.
Dili, Timor-Leste – a solidarity group for the independence of West Papua raised West Papuan flag during Pope @Pontifex Francis’ visit to Timor-Leste. pic.twitter.com/fN0BVj42Sn
— Ambrosius Mulalt (@Mulalt_) September 9, 2024The Historical Background of East Timor
The spread of Catholicism in East Timor has been attributed to 400 years of colonial rule by the Portuguese, which ended in 1975. Immediately after its independence from the Portuguese, the country came under the shackles of Muslim-majority Indonesia in 1976 and witnessed violent ethnic cleansing and religious persecution. The period of Indonesian occupation is known as the East Timor Genocide in popular memory, as it saw the extermination of about 200,000 people, according to an estimate by Amnesty International.
The continuous struggle for freedom and mounting pressure from the global community culminated in a UN-sponsored referendum in 1999, which finally ended the Indonesian occupation. The majority verdict of the referendum led the country to emerge as a sovereign state in 2002 with the election of Xanana Gusmão as its first president. In these two decades of struggle for independence, the role of Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, the head of the Catholic Church in East Timor, is remarkable.
Why is Pope Francis’ East Timor visit causing resentment among certain sections?
The excitement generated by Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit is marred with several issues that concern certain sections of the Timorese people. While the grand spectacle that East Timor has planned to create to welcome the pontiff has raised eyebrows among the activists, the demolition drives in the wake of the visit have disappointed the poor citizens. The cost of arranging Pope Francis’ East Timor visit, which stands at 12 million dollars, is too great to be shouldered by the poorest Asian country. Timor Leste remains one of the poorest countries in the world, as its economy is primarily dependent on foreign aid and oil extraction from the Timor Sea.
The discontentment with Pope Francis’ visit is also evident as the powerful non-governmental organization called BishopAccountability.org has been demanding the apology of Pope for the child sexual abuse case involving Bishop Belo over a period of 20 years. Established in 2003, the organization has been documenting the abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church and asked Cardinal Sean O’Malley, one of the United States’ most significant archdioceses, to persuade the Pope to speak out against the case during Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit.
What is Historical Accountability?
Historical Accountability is defined as the practice of being held accountable in present times for past wrongdoings. While the import of the term can be moral, it can often be legal, as evidenced by the conceptualization of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). The demands in climate conferences for securing funding from the developed nations for climate adaptation and mitigation necessary on the part of the developing and low-income countries are made keeping in mind the significant role of the developed West in aggravating the climate crisis through the industrial revolution and its consequent effects.
In the historical context of India, the apology of British PM David Cameron for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919, his India visit in February 2013 the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s apology for the Komagata Maru incident of 1914 in the House of Commons in 2016 are remarkable in acknowledging the age-old scar that has etched the collective memory of the Indians.
Why has Pope Francis’s East Timor Visit triggered the question of Historical Accountability?
Apart from Bishop Belo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his phenomenal role in sheltering and protecting Timorese people during the violence that gripped the nation during the Indonesian occupation, Richard Daschbach, another missionary in East Timor, has recorded a history of abusing children for extended years.
Although the latter was defrocked by the Vatican and later convicted and sentenced in East Timor to 12 years in prison, citing poor health, Belo had resigned in 2002 from his position in East Timor and moved to Mozambique as a missionary. It was only as late as 2022 that the Vatican administration acknowledged that it had imposed “disciplinary restrictions” on Bishop Belo secretly in 2020.
The Sovereign of the Vatican City State, as a leader of the revered institution, has the moral responsibility to acknowledge the history of child sexual abuse that has resurfaced time and again against the clergy throughout the world, especially in East Timor where the victims are doubly marginalized due to Belo’s dual role as a revered head of the Church and an important figure in the political struggle that ensured East Timor’s independence from Indonesia.
The Pope’s apology is surely not bestowed with curative powers that can magically heal the age-old trauma that the survivors had to endure, nor can it be expected to amend the historical wrongs that the victims suffered as children in the hands of the mighty institution. Even so, acknowledging the history of abuse and the wrongs that the Timorese children encountered almost two decades back can at least show sincerity in addressing the issue on the part of the Pope. However, no such meeting with the victims was on the schedule of Pope Francis’ East Timor visit, which left a section of activists frustrated.
What has been the Pope’s response?
Pope Francis’ East Timor visit, though a success in terms of achieving one of the largest Mass events, yet failed in moral terms. In his speech, Pope Francis urged “to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people”, which clearly steered away from the sex abuse scandal involving Bishop Belo. His response has not been a satisfactory one considering the gravity of the crime and the influential person involved.
What are the earlier incidents that saw apologies on the Pope’s part?
Earlier in 2018, Pope apologized in a 2000-word letter addressed to the “People of God” for the serious sexual abuse scandal that dates back to the 1940s and affected the majority of the parishes in Pennsylvania. The grand jury report that revealed the scandal also highlighted the cover-up attempts by the Church to protect its 300 “predator priests”. The Pope’s apology marked his sincerity in addressing the decade-old case where he deeply regretted the abandonment of “the little ones”.
Also, on July 28 2022, in Canada, Pope Francis met with a delegation of indigenous First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and publicly apologized for the violence done to their people by the clergy, especially in residential schools run by them. The Pope urged fellow Church leaders to vow to “never again” allow such atrocities to repeat.
However, Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit contradicted his earlier records where he failed to uphold the very standards that he himself raised.
FAQ
Why is Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit in the news?
Pope Francis has embarked on a 3-day visit to East Timor or Timor Leste, the most Catholic country in Asia on September 9, 2024. Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit is part of his 12-day Asia Pacific tour spanning four countries, namely, East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore, situated in South East Asia and Oceania.
What is Historical Accountability?
Historical Accountability is defined as the practice of being held accountable in present times for past wrongdoings.
What is the Historical Background of East Timor?
The spread of Catholicism in East Timor has been attributed to 400 years of colonial rule by the Portuguese, which ended in 1975. Immediately after its independence from the Portuguese, the country came under the shackles of Muslim-majority Indonesia in 1976 and witnessed violent ethnic cleansing and religious persecution.
Why is Pope Francis’ East Timor visit causing resentment among certain sections?
The excitement generated by Pope Francis’ East Timor Visit is marred with several issues that concern certain sections of the Timorese people. The cost of arranging Pope Francis’ East Timor visit, which stands at 12 million dollars, is too great to be shouldered by the poorest Asian country.
Why has Pope Francis’s East Timor Visit triggered the question of Historical Accountability?
Apart from Bishop Belo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his phenomenal role in sheltering and protecting Timorese people during the violence that gripped the nation during the Indonesian occupation, Richard Daschbach, another missionary in East Timor, has recorded a history of abusing children for extended years.
What has been the Pope’s response?
Pope Francis’ East Timor visit, though a success in terms of achieving one of the largest Mass events, yet failed in moral terms. In his speech, Pope Francis urged “to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people”, which clearly steered away from the sex abuse scandal involving Bishop Belo.
What are the earlier incidents that saw apologies on the Pope’s part?
Earlier in 2018, Pope apologized in a 2000-word letter addressed to the “People of God” for the serious sexual abuse scandal that dates back to the 1940s and affected the majority of the parishes in Pennsylvania.
