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It’s a country deeply divided – by politics and poverty – but when Pope Francis visited Timor-Leste this week, almost half the population united peacefully as one. By John Martinkus.
Timor-Leste unites for Pope Francis’s visit
Catholicism and nationalism came together this week for the largest gathering in Timor-Leste’s 25-year history, as almost half the nation’s population attended a public mass held by Pope Francis.
The event, on the western outskirts of Dili, was held on Tuesday under remarkable security, with members of the armed forces, police officers and a large contingent of Vatican security guards in attendance. Almost the entire capital was locked down. Shops were closed and roads were blocked. Most of the 600,000-strong crowd – which comprised many parents with babies and young children alongside elderly grandparents – had to walk at least 10 kilometres from the centre of Dili in searing heat.
Although the mass did not officially begin until 4.30pm, many headed to Tasitolu as early as the previous night. Streams of people walked patiently, peacefully and resolutely towards the flat, open area prepared for the event.
Carrying water, food, stools and the ubiquitous yellow-and-white umbrellas made in honour of “Papa” Francis’s visit, a seemingly endless stream of people passed all day along the newly resurfaced road, hot and sticky with asphalt. The route was festooned with Timorese flags and posters, billboards and entwined palm leaves. Any spot of shade was packed with those seeking respite from the heat.
Along the way, many succumbed to the high temperatures, collapsing or fainting. Teams of medics collected the fallen and loaded them onto stretchers to be taken to makeshift emergency medical tents staffed by volunteer paramedics.
One of those to succumb on the pilgrimage was a former nun and aid worker from New South Wales, who, despite having prosthetic feet, attempted the long walk. She was taken to one of the first-aid facilities and said even though security forces had been stern and sometimes aggressive in their handling of the crowds, she was treated kindly and gently once at the tent. After several hours, she was returned to her hotel in the centre of Dili.
Approaching the venue, the crush of people continued to increase. Teams of organisers from every one of Timor-Leste’s 13 provinces marshalled those from the different areas into specific spots.
This was significant because in the violence of 2006 certain provinces in the west and the east had been pitched against each other. The then leaders – President Xanana Gusmão and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri – struggled for power as rebel soldiers under Alfredo Reinado caused chaos by openly attacking the Timorese army, the F-FDTL, causing an internal refugee problem that was the result of widespread anxiety at the collapse of civil order.
The police, who were largely loyal to Gusmão, and the army, which was mostly loyal to the democratically elected Alkatiri, clashed in the streets of the capital. At that time Australian forces were sent back to Timor-Leste and were widely perceived to be supporting Gusmão in his calls for Alkatiri’s resignation. It was a divisive moment for the fledging nation.
This was the subtext to the massive turnout that peacefully paid homage to Pope Francis, despite many of the thousands gathered barely being able to see the stage constructed for the service.
In his homily at the start of the service, the Pope spoke of the causes of division in Timorese society and tried to assuage them.
“We see much wealth there, but this affluence blinds the powerful, seducing them into thinking they are self-sufficient, with no need for the Lord, and their conceit leads them to be selfish and unjust,” he said.
“For this reason, despite so much prosperity, the poor are abandoned and go hungry, infidelity is rampant and religious practice is increasingly reduced to mere formalism. This deceptive facade of a world that at first sight appears to be perfect hides a reality that is much darker, wretched, harsh and cruel, a reality where there is much need for conversion, mercy and healing.”
It was a message not lost on the leaders who gathered in the protected VIP area directly in front of the stage. Xanana Gusmão was there, having again been made prime minister, alongside President José Ramos-Horta. Together with the almost 1000 VIPs in front of the cordoned area, they must have reflected on their own actions.
It was not lost on the people either. Discussions held with many working and former Timorese journalists reflected a growing and widespread distaste for the government of Gusmão. Alleged corruption and nepotism, as well as rumours of his infidelity, were widely discussed in the days before the Pope’s visit.
The wide disparity of wealth in Timorese society is easy to see. Opulent five-star hotels have risen alongside ramshackle slums that in some cases were removed before the arrival of the pontiff. Anywhere the Pope was to travel past was repainted; unsightly buildings were boarded up. Roads were sprayed, rubbish collected, people moved on. The unprecedented lockdown of the city inconvenienced many and extended for the duration of his visit.
As one former Fretilin energy minister, Jose Teixeira, said: it was like cleaning the chrome on the mudguards of a car while leaving the mud inside the wheel hub. Despite this, people walked from all over Timor-Leste to get a glimpse of the Pope’s motorcade. On the first day of his visit, as he travelled to give mass to selected dignitaries and priests, 68,000 turned out. The centre of town and the waterfront were transformed with rows of fairy lights and flags and banners proclaiming the love of the Timorese people for the Pope.
Timor-Leste, which is 95 per cent Catholic, came together to show the Pope and the world that, despite the past – despite the Indonesian occupation and the total destruction of their towns and cities, despite the mass killings as the Indonesians withdrew just 25 years ago, despite the civil unrest of 2006 and 2007 – the country was united.
They still complain about what they see as the squandering of the oil revenues and the creation of a new elite and a new underclass. They still complain of the arrogance of their ageing leaders, who seem unable and unwilling to hand over the reins of power.
There is still resentment that those who fought and died for independence have been betrayed by a leadership comprised of many exiles who returned once independence was achieved.
Mega projects abound but seem to benefit only a few. Basic services have declined. Power, roads and communications are major problems, along with health and education.
Youth unemployment is an enormous problem. An entire generation has been born since 1999. The population of Timor-Leste has increased from about 750,000 to 1.2 million since independence, but there are no jobs and crumbling infrastructure.
Yet they remain a proud country, a country of freedom and faith.
In the chaotic aftermath of the mass this week, the people slowly drifted away, walking in vast columns back into town. Ecstatic, overjoyed and exhausted, they lounged on the roadside and a few shops opened, feeding the throng as they went.
The mass ended with the chant “Viva Papa Francis” and in that moment the people of Timor-Leste were united and peaceful. Despite all the trials of the past, the day belonged to the people of Timor-Leste and the nation’s leadership was somehow irrelevant.
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on September 14, 2024 as "Mass appeal".
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