austraLasia 1548
"We are proud of you" says ITM Superior
DILI 3rd May 2006 -- As the situation in East Timor's capital, Dili, began to return to normal after the May 1st national holiday, the Superior of the vice province, Fr Calleja, celebrated Mass for the boarders at the Centec Don Bosco Centre in Comoro, syaing "We are proud of you, serving thousands of refugees, collecting garbage, giving a hand day and night without respite". There are still families - yesterday as many as a thousand people - who linger at the compound, unsure of what awaits them out there in 'normal' Dili. For a few there is no home left to return to. It was estimated that at one stage during the disturbance the number of people in the compound reached around 10,000.
The Dili Diocese issued two communiqués during the events, one establishing clearly that the Church is not involved in 'party' politics, but rather has the task of forming consciences for the common good, and the other stating clearly that the Church is against violence (this was issued after the burning down of the market) and wants to foster dialogue. The communiqué appealed to young people not to choose a violent solution, and to the Government for a just solution for the 595 sacked soldiers whose circumstances sparked the events, though other elements largely fuelled the fires, both literally and metaphorically.
The Government has promised to set up a commission to study a just solution to the soldiers' complaints. This commission will have Church representatives in it as well as politicians and other citizens. Meanwhile newspapers and the rumour mill in Dili point a finger at a Government minister with a shady past in diamond dealing and smuggling in Angola, and who heads a prostitution racket in Dili itself - in the popular mind he represents a cause for the recent problems. More astute observers believe there are much wider forces at work. The Government, at least in terms of its leadership, has strong Marxist leanings; the island is now as it was many years before, split along ethnic lines (Loromonu from the west and Lorosae from the east). For some elements, an unstable situation suits their purposes - there is a Fretilin Congress in May and national elections to follow.
In the midst of all this, an Extraordinary Visitation was brought to a close! Understandably, much discussion focused on the importance of formation at all levels.
If you wish to comment on this item, please do so at BoscoWiki austraLasia page.
______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml
"We are proud of you" says ITM Superior
DILI 3rd May 2006 -- As the situation in East Timor's capital, Dili, began to return to normal after the May 1st national holiday, the Superior of the vice province, Fr Calleja, celebrated Mass for the boarders at the Centec Don Bosco Centre in Comoro, syaing "We are proud of you, serving thousands of refugees, collecting garbage, giving a hand day and night without respite". There are still families - yesterday as many as a thousand people - who linger at the compound, unsure of what awaits them out there in 'normal' Dili. For a few there is no home left to return to. It was estimated that at one stage during the disturbance the number of people in the compound reached around 10,000.
The Dili Diocese issued two communiqués during the events, one establishing clearly that the Church is not involved in 'party' politics, but rather has the task of forming consciences for the common good, and the other stating clearly that the Church is against violence (this was issued after the burning down of the market) and wants to foster dialogue. The communiqué appealed to young people not to choose a violent solution, and to the Government for a just solution for the 595 sacked soldiers whose circumstances sparked the events, though other elements largely fuelled the fires, both literally and metaphorically.
The Government has promised to set up a commission to study a just solution to the soldiers' complaints. This commission will have Church representatives in it as well as politicians and other citizens. Meanwhile newspapers and the rumour mill in Dili point a finger at a Government minister with a shady past in diamond dealing and smuggling in Angola, and who heads a prostitution racket in Dili itself - in the popular mind he represents a cause for the recent problems. More astute observers believe there are much wider forces at work. The Government, at least in terms of its leadership, has strong Marxist leanings; the island is now as it was many years before, split along ethnic lines (Loromonu from the west and Lorosae from the east). For some elements, an unstable situation suits their purposes - there is a Fretilin Congress in May and national elections to follow.
In the midst of all this, an Extraordinary Visitation was brought to a close! Understandably, much discussion focused on the importance of formation at all levels.
If you wish to comment on this item, please do so at BoscoWiki austraLasia page.
______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml
