Pope Francis embarks on climate mission amid East Timor disputes
An 87-year-old Pope Francis will depart on Monday for a 12-day journey to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. Residents of Dili, the capital of East Timor, are raising concerns that due to his visit, the authorities plan to demolish the homes of nearly 90 people. Francis is expected to hold a mass in these regions for hundreds of thousands of people.
At the beginning of next week, on Monday, September 2, Pope Francis will embark on the longest pilgrimage of his pontificate. He will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
Reuters emphasizes that Francis's main goal in this trip is to persuade local politicians to be more involved in combating climate change. Rising water levels, heat waves, and typhoons are significant issues in the region he will visit.
"We need to do everything in our capacity to limit the global average temperature rise under the threshold of 1.5°C enshrined in the Paris Climate Agreement, for going beyond that will prove catastrophic, especially for poor communities around the world", – said Pope Francis, as the Reuters reports.
Demolition of homes in East Timor. Nearly 90 people to leave their homes
The visit to East Timor is expected to last three days. It will commence on September 9. During this time, the Pope will hold a mass in Dili, which is expected to attract around 700,000 people. The city authorities are preparing an area of 57 acres for this event.
The BBC reported that due to Francis's visit, homes are currently being demolished in the nearby Tasitolu area. Eleven families – nearly 90 people – are set to be evicted.
The government had promised to pay them compensation ranging from nine to thirteen thousand Canadian dollars. As reported, they must leave their homes before the Pope's arrival.
"The amount is not enough for each household to meet its needs," said Venancio Ximenes, one of the residents, to the BBC.
The East Timorese government addressed the issue. Minister Germano Santa Brites Dias told the BBC that these evictions are unrelated to the Pope's visit. He stated that these people are living illegally near the capital.
He also noted that the residents had been informed of the plans back in 2023. Dias said that the time has come for the state to reclaim its property.
