Pope Francis has called on those responsible in East Timor to overcome “social scourges”. Poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, alcoholism, child abuse and juvenile delinquency must be addressed with a long-term policy, the Pope said on Monday evening (local time) in a speech to representatives from politics, diplomacy and civil society.
Since 65 percent of East Timor’s population is under 30 years old, education is the most important thing. It must focus on children and young people and strengthen their dignity. It is also about ensuring that fewer people than before leave the country in search of a better future.
Pope congratulates on independence
Francis landed in East Timor on Monday afternoon (local time), the third stop on his Asia-Pacific trip that began a week ago. He was greeted with military honours at the airport in the capital Dili. The President of East Timor, Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, then received the Pope in the presidential palace.
In his speech delivered in Spanish, Francis congratulated the Pacific state, formerly occupied by Indonesia, on its independence. The country had experienced “the shocks and violence that often occur when a people is on the verge of full independence and its aspirations for self-reliance are not recognized or are hindered.” After this period of trial, “a dawn of peace and freedom has finally dawned.”
The Pope stressed the importance of reconciliation with the people in the predominantly Muslim neighboring country of Indonesia. At the same time, he praised East Timor for joining the Abu Dhabi Declaration in 2022. In it, Muslims and Christians express their shared responsibility for peace and development. Francis also called for peace and reconciliation in view of ongoing wars in other parts of the world.
The small country of East Timor, once a Portuguese colony, fought for independence from its large neighbor Indonesia between 1975 and 2002, sometimes violently. Along with the Philippines, East Timor is the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia. Currently, more than 97 percent of the population belong to the Catholic Church. This makes East Timor the country with the highest growth rate of Catholic Christians in the world.
Catholic country – and one of the poorest in Asia
East Timor is one of the poorest countries in Asia. It lacks infrastructure and education; the exploitation of rich oil and gas deposits in the Timor Sea has yet to take place. The country’s population is growing rapidly: almost half of the 1.2 million citizens are under 15 years old.
The Pope will stay in East Timor until Wednesday. On Tuesday, he will visit a school for children with disabilities. Afterwards, Francis will meet bishops and other clergy in the cathedral in Dili; a meeting with members of the Jesuit order is also planned. In the afternoon (local time) he will celebrate a mass. On Wednesday, Francis will fly on to Singapore, the last stop on his trip, which will last until September 13.
