Janice R. Andrews
During his historic trip to East Timor, Pope Francis held an outdoor Mass on Tuesday for something like 600,000 people, which is about half of the country’s population. The event took place at Tasitolu, a coastal spot with a lot of historical importance that is known as a place where Timorese freedom fighters were buried during Indonesia’s rule.
In his speech, Pope Francis told the people of East Timor to have peace and stressed how important family is. He told the large crowd, “I wish you peace, that you keep having many children, and that your smile always be your children.”
A country with a lot of Catholics welcomes the Pope
East Timor, where about 96% of the people are Catholic, was one of the most Catholic countries in the world and received Pope Francis with open arms. His trip is the second time a pope has visited the Southeast Asian country. The first time was in 1989 by Pope John Paul II, which was a big boost for the country’s independence drive. After a long and harsh rule, East Timor got its freedom from Indonesia in 2002.
Pope Francis is on a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region, which is his longest trip so far. He will also be in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore. His visit to East Timor has gotten a lot of attention, which shows how strongly Catholic the country is and how much it loves the Vatican.
What Does It Mean? Due to Disagreement
People were happy about the visit, but it happened at the same time as recent abuse issues in the Catholic Church in East Timor. Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo was punished by the Vatican in 2022 after claims that he had abused boys sexually in the 1990s. In 2016, American priest Richard Daschbach was given a 12-year jail term for sexually abusing girls in Timor.
Advocates, like BishopAccountability.org, want Pope Francis to personally deal with these crimes. “The two men must be named by the pope,” said Anne Barrett Doyle from the group. She also said that this could have a hugely good effect on the community.
Friendly welcome and high prices
When Pope Francis arrived, he was warmly welcomed by President Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta and students dressed in traditional clothes. A lot of people lined the streets and waved yellow and white umbrellas, which are the colors of the Vatican.
But there have been some problems with getting ready for the pope’s stay. The government set aside $12 million for the trip, which is a lot of money for a country where 42% of people live below the poverty line. People have also said bad things about moving poor people off the streets to make room for the pope’s journey plans. Even with these problems, the journey is still a very important part of East Timor’s Catholic past.
