Pope doesn’t shy away from issue of sexual abuse in East Timor

In an address to the political authorities of East Timor, Pope Francis did not shy away from the country’s difficult past—but he also spoke hopefully of its future ahead.

Between 1975 and 1999, over 200,000 citizens of East Timor were massacred or killed fighting or from famine during Indonesia’s occupation of the country. East Timor officially gained independence in 2002 and is one of the youngest country’s in the world.

POPE FRANCIS
East Timor endured its greatest test and trial. It has suffered. Yet, the country has been able to rise again, finding a path to peace and the beginning of…