In the land where priests are ‘lords’, Pope warns clergy never to ‘crush others’

DILI – Catholic priests matter in East Timor. They matter a lot. Though the country is a 21st century and “modern” phenomenon, having become the first sovereign state of the 21st century when it gained its independence in 2002, it is in reality a traditional society grounded in the likes of faith, nation, community and family.

According to official figures, 98 per cent of its 1.3 million population is Catholic, and clergy here are revered, which arguably has as much to do with their priestly duties as it has with their roles as leaders and heroes of the country’s independence movement and bitter struggle for freedom.

In one sign of that deference, priests are referred to locally as Amu, a term which means “lord”. Such esteem, however, can result in a darker side, an example being how the few Timorese who come forward with charges of abuse or misconduct against clergy often struggle to get an adequate hearing.

In that context, Pope Francis used a speech to bishops and clergy on the second day of his 9 – 11 September visit to the country to issue a stern warning against clericalism and feelings of superiority, telling local pastors to be humble, and to focus instead on service to those most in need.

Pope Francis told clergy that their honourable status in the country “should not make you feel superior to the people or lead you into the temptation of being prideful or feeling powerful. It should not make you think of your ministry as bestowing social prestige, acting as leaders who crush others”.

The Pope also told leaders of the local Church to continue efforts at evangelisation and social harmony, while resisting the temptation to seek any advantage from the prestige that might result.

Clergy in East Timor must be “passionate, prepared and creative” in evangelisation, the Pope said, while cautioning priests against thinking they are superior to others or growing attached to power.

“Let us remember that with perfume we anoint the feet of Christ, which are the feet of our brothers and sisters in the faith, starting with the poorest,” he said, adding that a priest is always “an instrument of blessing”.

“Never take advantage of this role. You should always bless and console; always be a minister of compassion and a sign of God’s mercy,” the Pope said, and closed his address telling pastors and religious not to be discouraged, and asking for prayers, assuring them of his own.

In a sign of how intertwined Church and State can often be in East Timor, where the Church was a primary supporter of the country’s push for independence from Indonesia, Father Sancho Amaral, 68, shared his experience helping then-Commander in Chief and current Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão arrive from Dili to the eastern town of Ossu in 1991, while the country was still under Indonesian occupation.

Amaral explained that the trip was complicated, and that when they were stopped and questioned by Indonesian military, they let him pass unimpeded because of his priestly collar, allowing Gusmão to meet with his commanders. He called this an example of God’s protection for those he sends on mission.

Pope Francis landed in Dili, the capital of East Timor, on the afternoon of 9 September, where he was greeted by hundreds of thousands of locals lining the streets to wave at him and ask for blessings as he passed by.

After participating in an official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Dili, the Pope had a private visit with East Timorese President José Ramos-Horta before giving a speech to national civil authorities, urging them to tackle various social challenges and advocating for the protection of the dignity of youth amid recent clerical abuse scandals – though he did not apologise or link the abuse issue to the Catholic Church or to Church representatives.

RELATED: Pope starts East Timor trip with calls he name revered clergy in abuse scandals highly Catholic nation still reeling from

The highly Catholic island nation continues to reel from allegations against revered members of its clergy.

Ahead of the Pope’s arrival, the clerical abuse survivor advocacy group Bishop Accountability published an open letter to American Cardinal Sean O’Malley, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, asking the Pope to vocally address the issue while in East Timor.

Two big clerical sexual abuse scandals rocked the country. One involved prominent bishop and national hero Carlos Ximenes Belo, a Nobel laureate, who has subsequently been sanctioned by the Vatican. The other involved American ex-priest Richard Daschbach who was defrocked in 2018 after being accused of and later admitting to sexually abusing young girls under his care while serving as a missionary in East Timor.

Like Belo, Daschback is still often celebrated and defended by locals and high-ranking politicians for his efforts to support the country’s push for independence.

Anne Barret Doyle, co-director of Bishop Accountability, said in a statement: “An untold number of child sex abuse victims in East Timor are likely afraid to report their suffering, as they watch powerful predators bask in public affirmation despite the serious abuse allegations against them.

“It is a grim situation for victims, but Pope Francis could change it. He is revered in East Timor. If he explicitly condemns Belo and Daschbach, and praises the bravery of their victims, his words could have an enormous positive impact,” she said.

Photo: Pope Francis blesses attendees as he visits the Irmas Alma School for Children with Disabilities in Dili, East Timor, 10 September 2024. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images.)

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