Residents evicted prior to Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to deeply Catholic East Timor | DW News
Summary
TLDRPope Francis is set to visit East Timor, marking the first papal visit to the predominantly Roman Catholic nation since its independence. However, the construction of a $1 million altar for the visit has sparked controversy, displacing local residents in the capital, Dili. Despite the excitement for the Pope's arrival, many are angry over forced evictions and the unclear financial compensation. While the local Church claims responsibility only for the altar's construction, not the evictions, the government's actions have cast a shadow over the historic visit.
Takeaways
- 🛕 The Pope is visiting East Timor, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, marking a historic occasion.
- 🏗️ A new altar costing approximately $1 million has been constructed in anticipation of the Pope's visit, causing controversy.
- 🗯️ Local residents, especially those facing eviction for the altar's construction, express anger and concern over displacement.
- 🏠 A family is among those told to leave their long-time home, highlighting the human impact of the construction project.
- 🤝 Despite the controversy, many locals still eagerly anticipate the Pope's visit as a highlight of the year.
- 🏛️ The government is accused of marking houses for demolition with red numbers, indicating a lack of concern for the affected residents.
- 💬 Requests for interviews with the government have gone unanswered, suggesting a lack of transparency or responsiveness to concerns.
- 💰 There is uncertainty regarding the compensation and the amount residents will receive after being ordered to leave.
- 👨👩👧👦 The Baros family has been spared from eviction for now, but the future remains uncertain for many others.
- ⛪ The local Church claims responsibility only for the altar's construction, not the evictions, placing blame on the government.
- 🇹🇱 East Timor has a special connection to the Church, dating back to Pope John Paul II's visit in 1989 during the country's struggle for independence.
Q & A
What is the Pope's next destination on his tour?
-The Pope's next destination is East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste.
Why is the Pope's visit to East Timor historic?
-The Pope's visit to East Timor is historic because he will be the first pontiff to visit the predominantly Roman Catholic country since its independence from Indonesia.
What has stirred controversy in the capital, Dili, ahead of the Pope's visit?
-A massive construction project for a new altar built for the Pope has stirred controversy, as it has displaced local residents and raised questions about the true cost of the visit.
What is the estimated cost of the new altar in East Timor?
-The cost of the new altar in East Timor is around $1 million US.
How are local residents reacting to the construction of the altar?
-Many local residents are angry, especially those who have been evicted to make way for the altar. They express concern about their future living situation and the lack of clarity on compensation.
What was the government's response to the controversy surrounding the altar construction?
-The government did not respond to the request for an interview, indicating a lack of communication regarding the concerns of the local residents.
What is the role of the local Church in the evictions and construction?
-The local Church has stated that it is only responsible for the construction of the altar and not for the evictions, suggesting that the government is handling the eviction process.
What is the historical connection between East Timor and the Vatican?
-East Timor has a special connection to the Vatican, as Pope John Paul II visited the country in 1989 when it was still under Indonesian occupation, and his visit was followed by a protest against the occupiers.
How did the previous papal visit impact East Timor?
-The previous papal visit led to change, as it was followed by a protest against Indonesian occupation, showing the Church's support for independence.
What is the sentiment of the local Catholic community towards the Pope's visit despite the controversy?
-Despite the controversy, many in the local Catholic community, such as Candido Baros, still want to welcome the Pope with open arms, highlighting the deep-rooted Catholic faith in the country.
Outlines
🏰 Pope's Visit Sparks Controversy in East Timor
The Pope's upcoming visit to East Timor, a predominantly Roman Catholic nation, is clouded by controversy. A massive construction project for a new altar, costing approximately $1 million, has displaced local residents in the capital, Dilly. The project has stirred up anger among locals, particularly those who have been evicted to make way for the altar. A family featured in the script has been told to leave their home and business, expressing concern about their future. Despite the Pope's visit being a highlight for many due to their strong Catholic faith, the government's handling of the situation, including marking houses for demolition with red numbers, has been met with criticism. The local Church has distanced itself from the evictions, stating it is only responsible for the construction of the altar. The script also references a historic visit by Pope John Paul II in 1989, which was a catalyst for change and saw the church playing a supportive role in the country's fight for independence from Indonesia.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pope
💡East Timor
💡Independence
💡Controversy
💡Altar
💡Eviction
💡Catholic Faith
💡Government
💡Dilly
💡Pope John Paul II
💡Protest
Highlights
The Pope's tour includes a visit to East Timor, a predominantly Roman Catholic country.
Pope will be the first pontiff to visit East Timor since its independence from Indonesia.
A festive mood in the capital Dili contrasts with controversy stirred by a construction project.
A new altar built for the Pope's visit has displaced local residents.
Questions raised about the true cost of the Pope's historic visit due to the altar construction.
The altar, costing around $1 million, has caused anger among locals facing eviction.
Locals with deep Catholic faith are conflicted about the Pope's visit and the evictions.
Government marked houses for demolition with red numbers, causing distress among residents.
Local Church claims it is only responsible for the construction, not the evictions.
Chinese East Timor has a special connection to the Church, dating back to Pope John Paul II's visit in 1989.
The previous papal visit in 1989 led to protests against Indonesian occupiers.
The current visit is leading to evictions, a stark contrast to the previous visit's impact.
Locals like the Baros family are uncertain about their future due to the government's actions.
The government's handling of the situation has been criticized as uncaring towards the affected residents.
Despite the controversy, many Catholics still want to welcome the Pope with open arms.
Transcripts
and the next stop on the Pope's tour is
East teamour which is also known as teor
lest he'll be the first pontiff to visit
the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic
country since its independence from
Indonesia despite the festive mood in
the capital Dilly a massive construction
project has stirred up controversy a
sprawling new altar built for the pope
has displaced local residents and raises
questions about the true cost of this
historic visit
it's a massive structure right on the
outskirts of teor Lester's Capital Dilly
a couple of months before the Pope's
arrival construction began in the tiny
island nation on an altar that costs
around $1 million
us many locals are angry particularly
those faced with eviction to make way
for the altar like this family they have
been told to leave and close their
shop we've been here for so long our
children were born here we can't sleep
at night because we don't know where we
will go no one can tell
me with their deeply rooted Catholic
faith the Pope's visit is the highlight
of the year for many here but in a move
that could have come straight out of the
Bible locals say the government marked
all houses to be demolished with red
numbers our request for an interview
went unanswered
the government doesn't care where we
go they just want us
gone we're supposed to get money but
it's unclear how much he orders to pack
up and
leave where we'll live next is our
problem work on the altar has almost
finished some houses have been
demolished but the baros family has been
spared for
now the local Church says it's only
responsible for the construction not the
evictions it was before nothing there
nothing I mean it was belong to the
government the government know how to
run the place because it was been
occupied by the people but this is the
problem of the government I I
think uh the church has nothing to do
with the the organization of the of the
government Chinese teamour has a special
connection to the church in Rome back in
October 1989 Pope John Paul II visited
East Tour when the country was still
under Indonesian occupation he held a
mass at this altar not far
away afterwards the assembled crowd
protested against the Indonesian
occupiers at the time you know it's it's
almost impossible to have a big
Gathering like this because people are
afraid being uh arrest by the Indonesian
uh military because everybody here fight
for independence even the church the
priests the nuns even the young people
everybody fight for the independence you
know and church had been very helpful ah
okay he has last time the papal visit
led to change this time it's leading to
evictions like many other Catholics here
candido baros still wants to welcome the
pop
with open arms
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