AFP Videos – France
Pedocriminality in the Church: in East Timor, the Pope calls to “prevent all forms of abuse”
Pope Francis, welcomed Monday in East Timor by a huge crowd, called on its leaders to “prevent all forms of abuse” in the Church of this predominantly Catholic country, which is facing a child sex scandal that it has long covered up. After Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Francis landed early this afternoon in Dili for the third leg of his marathon tour of Asia-Pacific, the longest and most distant of his pontificate, which will continue Wednesday in Singapore and end there Friday. In his first speech to the authorities and the diplomatic corps at the presidential palace, the pope urged “responsible action to prevent all types of abuse” against “children and adolescents”. A reference to the pedocriminality scandals in the Church of this 98% Catholic country, notably embodied by Mgr Belo, a bishop who won the Nobel Prize in 1996 for his role in independence, accused of sexual violence against young boys for around twenty years and secretly sanctioned by the Vatican in 2020. Although associations and human rights groups demanded it, the pope, who promised “zero tolerance” on the issue, did not apologize to the victims, nor recognize the structural role of the Church in this violence. His schedule does not yet include any meetings with victims, but he is due to address the country’s clergy on Tuesday morning. – Euphoric welcome – Upon his arrival in Dili, the 87-year-old pope, who appeared in good shape despite a hectic schedule over the past week, was offered flowers and a “Tais” – a traditional scarf – as a sign of welcome, and greeted President Jose Ramos-Horta at the airport, which has been closed to civilian flights for three days. In a highly charged atmosphere, the Argentinian Jesuit was then cheered for several kilometres along his route by a huge and demonstrative crowd carrying official umbrellas and waving flags in the yellow and white colours of the Vatican and bearing the coats of arms of the two states. “When I saw his face, I got goosebumps (…) Because I firmly believe that his presence brings peace and hope,” Magdalena Tagnipis, who travelled from Australia, told AFP. “I really feel that the Timorese people have gave everything to welcome the Pope. They gave love and I think the Pope felt it,” added the 49-year-old Filipina, who calls herself “100% Catholic.” Francis’s visit, which has been eagerly awaited, has generated immense enthusiasm on the ground. In Dili, a city of some 280,000 people wedged between the mountains and the turquoise waters of the Ombai Strait, where the authorities had cleaned the roads and relocated the homeless, the Pope’s face is everywhere, from cars to shop windows. The history of Southeast Asia’s youngest country, a nascent democracy of 1.3 million people, has been marked by centuries of Portuguese colonization, 24 years of Indonesian occupation (1975-1999) and a referendum supported by the United Nations. “Going through such a dramatic period in your history, you have not lost hope and because, after dark and difficult days, an era of peace and freedom has finally dawned “lifted,” the pope said in his speech. Since independence from a bloody occupation that left more than 200,000 dead, the leaders of the “Generation of 75” have been considered independence heroes, starting with Nobel Prize winner Ramos-Horta. – Poverty and corruption – The papal visit to the country — which saw the arrival of Catholicism by missionaries in the 16th century — is the first since independence in 2002, with the main highlight being a giant open-air mass on Tuesday where 700,000 worshipers, half the population, are expected. The last papal visit to East Timor was by John Paul II in 1989, when the country was still under Indonesian occupation. East Timor is among the poorest countries in the world, heavily dependent on oil and gas revenues, which experts say could run out within years. To improve their daily lives, many resort to DIY. For example, Silverio Tilman, a 58-year-old teacher, set up a street stall selling merchandise bearing the image of the Pope, raising $600 (541 euros) in two days, more than double the average monthly salary. Francis could address economic issues or the social problems facing the country, starting with human rights violations. “Timor Leste” also suffers from endemic corruption, serious gender-based violence, domestic violence against people with disabilities, and child labor remains commonplace.bur-jfx-cmk/ebe/sk
Related News :