Residents evicted prior to Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to deeply Catholic East Timor | DW News

Summary

Pope 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

00:00

🏰 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.

Keywords

💡Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. In the context of the video, the Pope's visit to East Timor is a significant event, as it is the first visit by a pontiff to the predominantly Roman Catholic country since its independence. The script mentions the Pope's arrival causing a festive mood in the capital, Dilly, despite the controversies surrounding the construction for his visit.

💡East Timor

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is a Southeast Asian nation and the youngest democracy in Asia. The video discusses the Pope's visit to this country, highlighting its predominantly Roman Catholic population and its historical connection with the church, particularly during its struggle for independence from Indonesia.

💡Independence

Independence refers to the state of being self-governing or controlling one's affairs. In the script, East Timor's independence from Indonesia is mentioned, which is a backdrop to the Pope's visit and the country's special connection with the church, as the Pope had previously visited during the time of occupation.

💡Controversy

Controversy implies a dispute or disagreement, often involving a matter of opinion or point of view. The video script describes a controversy stirred by a massive construction project for the Pope's visit, which has displaced local residents and raised questions about the true cost of the visit.

💡Altar

An altar is a structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. In the video, a new altar costing around $1 million is built for the Pope's visit, which has become a point of contention as it has led to the displacement of local residents.

💡Eviction

Eviction is the act of removing someone from their home, typically by legal means. The script mentions that local residents, like the Baros family, have been evicted to make way for the altar, causing distress and uncertainty about their future living situation.

💡Catholic Faith

Catholic faith refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The video highlights the deeply rooted Catholic faith of the locals in East Timor, for whom the Pope's visit is a highlight of the year, despite the negative aspects surrounding the construction and evictions.

💡Government

The government in this context refers to the administrative body that has authority and power in East Timor. The script suggests that the government is responsible for the evictions and the organization of the Pope's visit, marking houses for demolition and not providing clear compensation or relocation plans.

💡Dilly

Dilly is the capital of East Timor. The video script mentions the festive mood in Dilly in anticipation of the Pope's visit, contrasting with the controversy over the construction project and the displacement of residents.

💡Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II was the head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005. The script refers to his previous visit to East Timor in 1989 when the country was under Indonesian occupation, during which he held a mass that inspired a protest against the occupiers, illustrating the church's historical role in the country's struggle for independence.

💡Protest

A protest is a public expression of objection to something. The video mentions a past protest led by the assembled crowd after Pope John Paul II's mass in 1989, which was a significant moment in East Timor's fight for independence, showing the intertwining of religious and political struggles.

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