pThe last papal visit to Dili was in 1989, when Pope John Paul II arrived in territory then occupied by Indonesia./p
Performers attend a rehearsal at the Esplanade of Taci Tolu, a venue where Pope Francis will preside a holy mass.
“It was an opportunity for us to express our right to fight for our liberation,” recalled Father Francisco Barreto, who was among the crowd when protesters unfurled banners calling for independence in front of the world’s TV cameras for the first time. “It will bring new life, new energy, to our fight for the progress of this nation... politics and the economy are not healthy.”
A year earlier, a defrocked American priest was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing girls under his care in Timor-Leste.“There is a lot of resistance from some Timorese to thinking about those awful cases because of the historical importance of the church to the successful achievement of self-determination,” said Professor Michael Leach, from Australia’s Swinburne University.
Converting to Catholicism became a way to reject integration with predominantly Muslim Indonesia, boosting those identifying as Catholic to more than 95 per cent at independence, compared with less than 30 per cent before 1975. Performers attend a rehearsal at the Esplanade of Taci Tolu, a venue where Pope Francis will preside a holy mass. PHOTO: REUTERS
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pope Francis visit keenly awaited in deeply Catholic East TimorWhen Pope Francis touches down in the East Timorese capital of Dili this week he will be landing in a totally different nation to the one visited by his predecessor.
Read more »
Pope Francis heads to Papua New Guinea to visit remote Catholic communitiesThe Vatican estimates there are around 2.5 million Catholics in the country.
Read more »
Thousands of souvenirs sold as Singapore gears up for Pope Francis' visitSingapore will welcome Pope Francis next week. Thousands of souvenirs have been sold in fundraising efforts for the Catholic community. From T-shirts and hats to tote bags, all proceeds will go towards the Pope Francis Singapore Fund to support the papal visit here.
Read more »
Pope Francis delivers medical supplies in visit to remote jungle townVANIMO, Papua New Guinea: Pope Francis flew deep into the jungle of the Southwestern Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea on Sunday (Sep 8) to visit Catholics living in one of the most
Read more »
Pope Francis’ first visit to Singapore has been eight years in the makingSingapore is the final stop in Pope Francis' 12-day trip to the region.
Read more »
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Pope Francis’ visitIndonesia is Pope Francis' first stop on his 12-day tour of Asia.
Read more »