The AP Interview: East Timor president sees pope stop as opportunity, not time to dwell on past sins

DILI, East Timor (AP) — The president of East Timor sees Pope Francis’ upcoming visit as a prime opportunity to promote Asia’s youngest country on the world stage, not a time to confront the legacy of abuse by influential members of the clergy in the deeply Catholic nation.

During an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press, President José Ramos-Horta also predicted progress soon on a major energy project with Australia, and urged China and the United States to act as “benevolent superpowers” as they compete for influence in the Southeast Asian country.

The 74-year-old former independence fighter and Nobel laureate returned to the presidency in 2022 with campaign pledges that included tackling poverty, creating jobs and improving political stability.

Francis is due to arrive Monday in the impoverished and youthful nation of 1.3 million people, also known as Timor-Leste, following visits to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Walls are still being dabbed with fresh paint and banners and billboards seemingly everywhere have been hoisted to welcome the pope.

An estimated 700,000 people are expected to participate in a papal Mass the following day in the seaside capital, Dili, and many others are likely to line the streets try to catch a glimpse of the pope.

The visit is a “reward” for the depth of faith shown by Timorese, some 98% of whom identify as Catholic, and recognition of the progress toward peace the country has shown in recent years, Ramos-Horta said.

There’s another benefit for the little-known nation, a former Portuguese colony wedged between Indonesia and Australia: “The pope’s visit is the biggest, the best marketing anyone can aspire to to promote the country, to put the country on the tourist map,” he said.