Source: United Press International
“Pope Francis drew a crowd of 600,000 people as he held an outdoor mass in Timor-Leste on Tuesday that reflected on the joy of childbirth. The birth of a child is a ‘shining moment of joy and celebration’ throughout the world, Francis told the crowd in coastal Tasitolu, adding that it instills ‘a desire for the good’ and ‘a return to purity and simplicity.’ … Francis'[s] visit comes amid accusations that Bishop Ximenes Belo abused young boys in the 1980s and 1990s. The Vatican has said it was aware of the accusations and had restricted Belo’s movements and prohibited voluntary contact with minors in 2020. The visit also came under scrutiny as authorities had demolished homes and evicted about 90 people in Tasitolu …. Despite the tension in the area the massive crowd in Timor-Leste, which has a strong Roman Catholic majority, represented nearly half of the nation’s population.” (09/10/24)