Pope Francis is visiting East Timor in the wake of a clergy abuse scandal, but will he address it?

(28 Aug 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dili, East Timor - 12 August 2024
1. Pan left of the governor's office
2. Cars and motorbikes pass by on the street with posters lined up on poles
3. A welcome poster for Pope Francis "Welcome to Timor Leste, the Holy Father Pope Francis."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dili, East Timor - 14 August 2024
4. Tilt up of mural on the wall from words "We won in freedom but lost morals" to bishop Belo's
5. Mural of Belo with other East Timorese heroes

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Recent
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Tjiske Lingma, Dutch journalist: ++STARTS ON SHOTS 4 & 5++
"I think with the arrival of the pope I think it's the time for the pope to say some words to the victim to apologize."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dili, East Timor - 13 August 2024
7. Tourists look at posters of East Timor history
8. Photograph of Bishop Belo and Ramos Horta, former president, at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dili, East Timor - 13 August 2024
9. SOUNDBITE (Terun) Martinha Goveia, University student: ++STARTS ON SHOT 8++
"I feel sad if Bishop Belo does not come to this important event because he is an important person in the church, that is not good in my opinion."
10. Women traders at the market
11. SOUNDBITE (Terun) Alfredo Ximenes, vegetable trader: ++STARTS ON SHOT 10++
"Our political leaders should immediately meet him to end the problem and persuade him to return, because after all he has contributed greatly to national independence.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - Dili, East Timor, 21 Dec 2021
12. Various of Priest Richard Daschbach speaking with lawyers and walking into the courtroom to hear the verdict

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dili, East Timor - 12 August 2024
13. SOUNDBITE (Indonesian) Valentim da Costa Pinto, executive director of The Timor-Leste NGO Forum: ++STARTS ON SHOT 12 AND PART COVERED WITH SHOT 11++
"Pedophilia and sexual abuse are common enemies, so the tendency of support from the prime minister is another matter and not about that, because everyone who breaks the rules in Timor cannot be linked to the issue of the struggle for independence."
14. Dili cathedral
15. Pull focus of statue
STORYLINE:
When the Vatican acknowledged in 2022 that the Nobel Peace Prize-winning, East Timorese independence hero Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo had sexually abused young boys, it appeared that the global clergy sexual abuse scandal that has compromised the Catholic Church’s credibility around the world had finally arrived in Asia’s newest country.

And yet, the church in East Timor today is stronger than ever, with most downplaying, doubting or dismissing the claims against Belo and those against a popular American missionary who confessed to molesting young girls.

Many instead focus on their roles saving lives during the country’s bloody struggle against Indonesia for independence.

Pope Francis will come face to face with the Timorese faithful on his first trip to the country, a former Portuguese colony that makes up half of the island of Timor off the northern coast of Australia.

But so far there is no word if he will meet with victims or even mention the sex abuse directly, as he has in other countries where the rank-and-file faithful have demanded an accounting from the hierarchy for how it failed to protect their children.

Even without pressure from within East Timor to address the scandals, it would be deeply meaningful to the victims if Francis did, said Tjiyske Lingsma, the Dutch journalist who helped bring both abuse cases to light.























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