In 2002, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, the head of East Timor’s Catholic Church, resigned and moved to Mozambique amidst allegations of sexually abusing young boys over a 20-year period. The organization BishopAccountability.org has called on Pope Francis to address child sexual abuse in the Catholic church during his upcoming visit to East Timor. Belo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his role in East Timor’s independence from Indonesia, was secretly sanctioned by the Vatican following the allegations. Despite this, he still enjoys popularity in East Timor, with state officials publicly praising and welcoming him back to the country. The church in East Timor has largely downplayed or doubted the claims against Belo and other figures accused of abuse.
Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to East Timor will be his first to the country, which is considered the most Catholic country in the world outside of the Vatican, with 98% of its 1.3 million people identifying as Catholic. The Vatican has not yet commented on whether the pope will meet with victims of abuse or directly address the issue during his visit. Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org noted that cultural factors in Asia, which tend to confer power on adults and authority figures, contribute to the continued reverence for bishops accused of abuse in the region. Despite the outrage such cases elicit elsewhere in the world, the bishops in East Timor are still celebrated for their roles in the country’s struggle for independence.
The request for Pope Francis to address child sexual abuse during his visit to East Timor was made by BishopAccountability.org, which asked Cardinal Sean O’Malley to persuade the pope to speak out against sexual abuse. The organization highlighted the allegations against Bishop Belo and another major Catholic figure in East Timor, as well as the church’s tendency to downplay or doubt such claims. While Bishop Belo was secretly sanctioned by the Vatican and accused of abusing underage boys, he is still popular in East Timor, with state officials praising and welcoming him back to the country.
Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo’s abrupt resignation in 2002 amidst allegations of sexual abuse shocked many in East Timor, where he was celebrated for his role in the country’s fight for independence from Indonesia. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was sent to Mozambique to work as a missionary before moving to Portugal, after the Vatican acknowledged the allegations against him in 2022. Despite this, Belo continues to enjoy popularity in East Timor, with state officials publicly supporting his return. The church in East Timor has faced criticism for downplaying or doubting claims of abuse, including those made against a popular American missionary who confessed to molesting young girls.
As Pope Francis prepares for his first visit to East Timor, the issue of child sexual abuse in the Catholic church is once again in the spotlight. The Vatican has not yet announced whether the pope will address the issue during his trip, but organizations like BishopAccountability.org are calling for action. Cultural factors in Asia, where authority figures are often revered and given significant power, play a role in the continued support for bishops accused of abuse in East Timor. Despite the outrage such cases provoke in other parts of the world, the bishops involved are still celebrated for their roles in the country’s history. Pope Francis’ visit to East Timor presents an opportunity for the church to address these allegations and support victims of abuse, but it remains to be seen how the issue will be handled during the trip.
