Francisco emphasizes the role of the Catholic Church in ending the Indonesian occupation, highlighting the need for reconciliation and social development
Dili, September 09, 2024 (Ecclesia) – The Pope praised today the “determination and heroism” of the people of East Timor, recalling the struggle for independence in the 20th century and the role of the Catholic Church in ending the Indonesian occupation.
“East Timor, which has faced moments of great tribulation with patient determination and heroism, lives today as a peaceful and democratic country, committed to building a supportive and fraternal society, developing peaceful relations with its neighbors in the international community,” he stated in the first speech of his visit to Dili, which began this afternoon.
During the first visit of a Pope after East Timorese independence, attended by tens of thousands of people in the capital’s streets, Francisco expressed confidence that East Timor “will be able to face current difficulties and problems with intelligence and creativity.”
“We thank the Lord because, during such a dramatic period in your history, you did not lose hope and, after dark and difficult days, a dawn of peace and freedom has finally emerged,” he declared in a speech in Spanish.
The Pope recalled the visit of John Paul II in 1989, still under Indonesian occupation, and emphasized the “rooting in the Catholic faith” of the East Timorese as a decisive factor in overcoming “years of calvary and their greatest trial.”
“You are a suffering people, but wise in suffering,” he added, acknowledging the need for a “purification of memory.”
Francisco referred to the period between the “declared independence and the definitively restored independence,” from November 28, 1975, to May 20, 2002.
East Timor, he emphasized, “went through a painful phase in its recent past,” with “upheavals and violence,” praising the effort towards “full reconciliation with the brothers from Indonesia,” an attitude that, according to the Pope, “found its first and purest source in the teachings of the Gospel.”
The country has managed to rise again, finding a path of peace and the beginning of a new phase, which aims to be one of development, improvement of living conditions, and enhanced appreciation, at all levels, of the pristine splendor of this territory and its natural and human resources.”
Francisco wanted to highlight the importance of a territory positioned between Asia and Oceania and its historical connection to Portugal, from where the first Dominican missionaries arrived in the 16th century, “bringing Catholicism and the Portuguese language.”
“Born in Asia, Christianity reached these remote corners of the continent through European missionaries, witnessing its universal vocation and its capacity to harmonize with diverse cultures,” he added.
The Pope thanked the decision to adopt the declaration he signed together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on February 4, 2019, as a “national document” of East Timor, incorporating it into school curricula under the subject of “Human Fraternity.”
The address concluded with a prayer to the country’s patroness, the Virgin of Aitara.
“May She accompany and always help you in the mission to build a free, democratic, supportive, and joyful country, where no one feels excluded, and all can live in peace and dignity. God bless East Timor! Maromak haraik bênção ba Timor-Lorosa’e,” he concluded.
Photo: Vatican Media
The meeting was introduced by a speech from the President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, who spoke of a “historic visit,” on the anniversaries of April 25 in Portugal, the 25 years of the referendum on East Timorese independence, and the 35 years of John Paul II’s visit, which “placed the cause of East Timor’s self-determination on the global agenda.”
After the speeches, the two leaders proceeded to the entrance of the Palace for the farewell, where Francisco blessed a group of around one thousand people.
It is estimated that over 500 thousand people are following the Pope’s visit in the East Timorese capital.
The central celebration of the trip will take place this Tuesday, in Tasi Tolu, the same location that hosted Saint John Paul II in October 1989.
The Eucharist presided over by Francisco, starting at 4:30 PM (8:30 AM in Lisbon), will include prayers in Portuguese, Tetum, and six other local languages.
OC
East Timor: Pope arrived in Dili for an unprecedented visit since the country’s independence