Latest news with #Ramos-Horta
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
We've Been Orphaned. The Loss Of Papa Francisco.
I have deliberately used his chosen Hispanic name - Papa Francisco. Why anglicize it? Now, as the President of Timor–Leste, José Ramos-Horta, pointed out to me, wouldn't it be remarkable if, after the first-ever Pope from the Global South, his successor, were chosen from Asia or Africa? President Ramos-Horta has a point. Timor–Leste is the most Roman Catholic country in the world after Vatican City, with 99.6% of its population devotedly Catholic. The President of Timor-Leste and the Pope spent a great deal of time together in September 2024, six months before the Pope's passing, when he accepted an invitation to visit the country. The visit was incredibly successful: the Pope was greeted by half of Timor-Leste's population, blessing hundreds of thousands, having just visited three countries before arriving. He stepped off the flight bearing the weight of the papal robes, one and a half lungs, and a mesh in his stomach. It was an overwhelmingly warm trip — marked by welcome, embrace, and deep respect — so much so that, when it came time to board his flight a few days later, he turned to the President, whispered, and said, "Walk over with me to make sure I get on this flight." Though Papa Francisco was not well, he carried himself through each meeting with grace and a smile. The President recalled to me a woman struggling with infertility who came seeking a blessing. Papa Francisco gave her his time. He listened. He offered her infinite blessings. Just three weeks earlier, doctors had urged him to take it easy and cancel all appointments, but for Papa Francisco, this was never easy. He was an incredibly dedicated, values-based leader who did so much to change the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the world. President Ramos-Horta had been monitoring Papa Francisco's medical updates for some time, and although we knew this day was approaching, the news of his passing still came as an enormous shock. At the time, I was hosting President Ramos-Horta in the UK. As he received the news of the Pope's passing, he immediately pivoted to attend the funeral, which is happening in real time as I write. When we were reflecting on the Pope's life over the last few days, he tells me Timor-Leste's people did not just admire the Pope; they revered him, seeing in him not only a spiritual leader, but a father. He was one of the only world leaders with a true moral compass - a reflection of the values we hold dear: compassion, peace, justice, and humility. 'Now, that father is gone,' President Ramos-Horta asked me with a heavy heart, 'have we become orphans?' José Ramos-Horta tells me he was not yet President when he first met Papa Francisco. In 2021, he was invited to join the Pope's Human Fraternity Initiative - a bold call for peace and solidarity. From that moment, the President says, they became fast friends. Their bond was warm, human, and genuine. During his visit to Timor-Leste, the Pope noticed how closely the President worked to help his people connect with him. After returning to Rome, he wrote to Ramos-Horta, expressing how deeply he had noticed - and appreciated - the President's closeness to his people. Meanwhile, during his visit, the President confided in the Pope and told him he was sad about the state of the world, and often felt a sense of hopelessness and disillusionment. Papa Francisco nodded, agreed, and shared his sentiment with examples. In Timor-Leste, he saw a kindred spirit that shares the Church's values. A country with no death penalty, no life imprisonment, no religious violence, a deep commitment to peace and a strong, free press (10th best in the world according to recent rankings, whilst the UK is 26th and USA is 40th). It is a nation shaped by suffering and resistance yet deeply rooted in peace and democracy. I share President Ramos-Horta's sentiment that we have lost more than 'the greatest Pope in history,' as he describes him. We have lost a global leader of integrity and courage - a man who spoke truth to power when many others, including powerful world leaders, would not. He condemned the immorality of the global arms trade, and where others remained silent on the suffering in Gaza, he visited both Palestinian victims and the families of Israeli hostages. From October 2023 onwards, he called the local parish in Gaza every single evening, asking, "Are you well? Have you eaten?" - a small but profound act of love and solidarity with the Global South. Papa Francisco literally kissed the shoes of South Sudanese leaders, begging them to end the bloodshed. He washed the feet of women during Holy Week, just as Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples, and he did more to elevate the position of women in the Church than any Pope before him. Where women once wore black and covered their hair when visiting the Pope, Papa Francisco ended such customs. This was no ordinary leader. He was strong, courageous, and unwavering in his values. He reformed the Church in ways few thought possible, including on LGBTQ+ issues. When asked about same-sex marriage, he replied simply, "Who am I to deny the children of God?" And so it was, the life of over 2 billion Catholic people from all backgrounds was transformed. He was the first Jesuit Pope, the first from the global South, and the first to lead from a place of humility and conviction. 'As a humble and obedient Catholic, I leave that decision to the College of Cardinals,' President Ramos-Horta tells me. 'But as the leader of an independent Catholic nation, I am proud that Timor-Leste can now participate in that sacred process. And I wonder if it could be time for a Pope from Asia or Africa? The global South, after all, represents the majority of the world's 2 billion Catholics. What a powerful message of unity and inclusion that would send.' When Pope Benedict resigned and later passed away, the moment passed quietly. But with Papa Francisco, the world has been moved. It shows us the scale of what we have lost and the uncertainty of whether we will ever find his like again. We are grieving not just a Pope, but a man who made goodness radical again. Who lived out the values teachings of Christ not as dogma, but as daily courage. Who made the world feel, perhaps for a moment, that it could be kinder. We will miss him deeply – as a friend, as a leader and as a father and a mother.
The Sun
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
East Timor leader declares week of mourning for Pope Francis
DILI: Catholic-majority East Timor will observe a week of mourning to honour Pope Francis after his death on Monday aged 88, President Jose Ramos-Horta said, hailing the pontiff's 'very brave' fight for peace and support of the world's poorest people. 'Not only the Catholics of East Timor but all religions and all communities feel the loss of the pope,' the Nobel Laureate said in a video statement during a state visit to Bulgaria. 'A pope who was very brave to fight against the world's powers and fight for peace, and fight against people who cornered the poor and poor countries.' Ramos-Horta said flags would be flown at half-mast for a week from Tuesday. 'In this moment of grief, Timor-Leste declares one week of national mourning,' he said in a separate statement, using the country's Portuguese name. The Argentine pontiff visited Asia's youngest nation, one of the world's most Catholic countries, last September. That visit was part of a marathon trip that also included Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore in between bouts of ill health. He held a mass on the outskirts of Dili that authorities said attracted almost half of the country's 1.3 million people. The first Latin American pontiff made a pointed call to Timorese leaders during that visit to do more on all forms of abuse after several high-profile child abuse scandals involving members of the nation's clergy. 'It is still fresh in our minds, the pope's visit to East Timor,' Ramos-Horta said. 'Before he left the airport, the pope held my hand and said 'pay attention to these beloved people'.'
Reuters
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
East Timor president says death of Pope Francis a 'tremendous loss' for the world
April 21 (Reuters) - East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Monday the death of Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was a tremendous loss for the world, not just Christians. The 88-year-old pontiff, who died on Monday, was the first pope to visit East Timor in over 30 years, following John Paul II, whose appearance gave the country's movement for independence from occupying Indonesia from 1975-1999 a historic boost. The president of Asia's youngest, predominantly-Catholic nation told Reuters flags in East Timor would be flown at half-mast for one week to honour the late pontiff's life and a mass would also be held in his honour. "He leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity, a tremendous loss for the world, not only for Christians," he said in a phone interview. Ramos-Horta praised Francis' courage to speak out "for the poor, for the arrogance, against abuse, against wars." Former Portuguese colony East Timor is a half-island nation of 1.3 million people north of Australia and one of only two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia. "Look after these wonderful people," Ramos-Horta cited Francis' last words to him last year.
New York Times
16-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
The Growing Pains of Asia's Newest Country
Three decades ago, he was a scrappy campaigner roaming the world's corridors of power with a dream to win independence for his tiny homeland. Today, at 75, José Ramos-Horta is both the president and a relentless salesman for East Timor. He asked China's president, Xi Jinping, to 'help us resolve the problem of agriculture, food security and poverty.' He pleaded with Vietnam's leaders to do the same. He pitched Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, his dream of building student dormitories. Mr. Ramos-Horta is under mounting pressure to sustain his nation — Asia's youngest and one of its poorest. Home to about 1.4 million people, East Timor is one half of an island that lies near the northern tip of Australia; the other half is part of Indonesia. A Portuguese colony for centuries, it emerged as an independent state in 2002 after a brutal occupation by Indonesia. Its roughly $2 billion economy remains heavily reliant on oil and gas revenue, which is evaporating quickly, and more than 40 percent of its people are estimated to live in poverty. 'No country in Southeast Asia or in Africa began as we did, from ashes, from total destruction,' Mr. Ramos-Horta said. But, he added: 'In 22 years, we should have resolved child poverty, child malnutrition, mother malnutrition and extreme poverty. So that has been a failure.' Still, by other measures, East Timor, or Timor-Leste as it is known in Portuguese, is a success. It has strengthened its young democracy, holding competitive elections with multiple transfers of power. It ranks among the highest in Asia for press freedom. Life expectancy is around 70, up from around 64 in 2002. The entire population now has access to electricity. While politically motivated violence followed independence, including an assassination attempt on Mr. Ramos-Horta in 2008, during his first term as president, the country is stable now. East Timor is a positive case study for young post-conflict states, said Parker Novak, an Indo-Pacific expert at the Atlantic Council. 'They've built a fairly resilient democracy. That's something they're very proud of, and rightfully so.' In September, a visit by Pope Francis briefly put East Timor in the global spotlight. About 97 percent of the population identifies as Roman Catholic, a legacy of the Portuguese colonizers and, more recently, the pivotal role the church played in winning independence from Indonesia. Some clergy fought for independence, and bishops and nuns protected people from Indonesian forces. In Dili, the capital, streets were scrubbed and walls freshly painted to primp for the papal trip. The prime minister, Xanana Gusmão, was out with a broom. For one of the least visited countries in Asia, it was a major moment. Outside of Dili, the major population center, East Timor still feels like an untouched paradise. Tall, lush mountains are surrounded by wide expanses of azure seas. There are few people on its white sandy beaches. Francis' arrival also resurrected memories of a tainted past. Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, one of the heroes of the independence movement, was accused in 2022 of having sexually abused children decades ago. Few Timorese speak up about Bishop Belo, who remains widely revered. Mr. Ramos-Horta, who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 along with Bishop Belo for their work to win independence, said the matter had 'already been addressed years ago by the Vatican' and that any restitution had already been made between the church and the victims. The China Factor At the grounds of the presidential palace in Dili, members of the public stroll in freely and sit in the lush gardens. It was all made possible by China. Beijing gave nearly $7 million to build the palace, which opened in 2009. (The U.S. dollar is the official currency here.) Less than a mile away are the defense and foreign ministries, both also built by China. Mr. Ramos-Horta recounted how he had asked the Chinese ambassador for help in providing clean water. 'Even before I went to China, Chinese engineers were coming to Timor already, to look at the water sources for irrigation and water supply to communities,' he said. 'The Chinese, they deliver very fast.' This reliance on China has triggered fears about Beijing's intentions in East Timor, and what it could mean for the United States, which has stepped up its troop presence in the Australian port city of Darwin, just a few hundred miles from East Timor. 'When China looks at investing in another developing country, they do so with one eye, certainly on a viable business, but with the other eye, very much on a longer-term strategic interest,' said Damien Kingsbury, an emeritus professor at Deakin University in Australia. As Mr. Ramos-Horta took me on a tour of the palace, he dismissed those fears, saying 'China is not a threat to the world.' He said Beijing was reluctant to help more, such as with building a police force, because it was aware of American and Australian sensitivities. He added that East Timor does not borrow money from China, and that the only military security arrangement it has is with Australia. Not 'Hostages of the Past' Mr. Ramos-Horta is fond of sharing anecdotes. One was about bumping into Indonesia's president, Prabowo Subianto, in Singapore in July. Mr. Prabowo asked after Mr. Ramos-Horta's younger brother, a close friend of his. 'That's the level of the friendship we have with Indonesian leaders,' Mr. Ramos-Horta said. The same Mr. Prabowo who led the feared Kopassus special forces unit that slaughtered hundreds in East Timor during the Indonesian occupation? The Indonesian military moved in days after the Portuguese left in 1975, after the United States had greenlighted the invasion. They killed, according to some estimates, as many as 200,000 people before allowing a referendum in 1999. Mr. Ramos-Horta lost four siblings. Still, in recognition of Indonesia honoring the results of the referendum, Mr. Ramos-Horta said he and Mr. Gusmão, the prime minister, decided that they would not allow 'ourselves to be hostages of the past.' 'We honor the victims. We bury the dead, but we look forward.' He recounted how when he and Mr. Gusmão first heard that Mr. Prabowo had been elected, Mr. Gusmão 'was very happy' and gave him a thumbs up. 'Those who were here, during the difficult time, they have the greatest emotional connection' to East Timor, Mr. Ramos-Horta said, adding that such people would be more supportive of the country's stability. Familiar Challenges A quarter-century after the Indonesians left, many of East Timor's independence heroes remain in government. While Mr. Gusmão fought in the jungles, Mr. Ramos-Horta spent decades in exile, lobbying for freedom. He has served as foreign minister, prime minister and is now in his second term as president. 'People feel obligated to them, they liberated the country from a horrendous military occupation,' said Charles Scheiner, a researcher at La'o Hamutuk, a local advocacy group. 'Everybody in this country has family who was killed by the Indonesian military, and many of them are survivors of torture and rape.' But winning sovereignty is different from running a country. Analysts say that instead of using the revenues from oil and gas to improve decrepit schools and develop fishing and farming industries, officials channeled them into creating an inflated bureaucracy and paying those involved in the post-independence violence big pensions to 'buy peace.' The World Bank has warned that East Timor is heading toward a 'damaging fiscal cliff' by 2035. 'The underlying premise of the democracy is that it would lead to better policymaking,' said Guteriano Neves, an independent policy analyst based in Dili. 'But it has not.' Mr. Ramos-Horta is counting on developing an offshore gas field, called Greater Sunrise, to bring in much-needed revenue. While coffee remains a major export, Mr. Ramos-Horta speaks effusively of developing East Timor as an air cargo or pharmaceuticals hub. He also hopes to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to make regional trade easier. The odds are long. Negotiations for the Greater Sunrise field are continuing, and it is expected to take at least five years of development before generating any revenue. Tourism remains untapped because of few commercial flights. Internet speeds still crawl. About 25 minutes away from Dili, in the village of Ulmera, Alda Bisoi Correia, 74, recalled why she voted for independence. She was terrified of pro-Indonesia militias but said it was 'our last opportunity' to take a stand. Today, she wonders what it was all for. 'Independence hasn't made a difference to us,' she said. Ms. Correia said the government does not supply water. Her family cannot afford a fridge. Her son is a security guard. His adopted daughter, Sandra Correia Lopes, 12, weighs just 12 kilograms, or 26 pounds, and falls sick frequently. As dusk turned to night, Sandra sat down to dinner. It was a plate of rice and vegetables that her aunt had cooked over firewood. It will be nearly a month before her family can afford to serve meat.
South China Morning Post
05-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Southeast Asia's poorest nation ‘holding off' Chinese interest in huge gas field
Published: 12:49pm, 5 Feb 2025 East Timor would prefer to work with Australia and partners Woodside Energy and Japan 's Osaka Gas over Chinese firms that have expressed interest in developing the stalled Greater Sunrise natural gas field, its president said. The comments by President Jose Ramos-Horta mark the first time he has publicly expressed a preference to develop the field with Australia and existing partners since he suggested doing so with new ones such as China and Kuwait last year. The prospect of developing Greater Sunrise, which has 5.1 trillion cubic feet (144.4 billion cubic metres) of gas reserves, with new partners had raised concerns in Australia about growing Chinese power and influence in the Pacific region. Ramos-Horta said East Timor had been stalling approaches from Chinese companies including state-owned Sinopec as well as Kuwaiti firms to develop the field, as it is committed to its Australian partners. 'If anything, it is our side that has been holding off,' Ramos-Horta said in an interview on Sunday during a commercial flight from Dili to Indonesia 's Bali. An aerial view of East Timor's capital, Dili. Southeast Asia's poorest nation, also known as Timor-Leste, gained independence from Indonesia in 2002. Photo: Shutterstock State-owned Timor Gap owns a 56.6 per cent stake in the field located about 140km (87 miles) south of East Timor, while Australia's Woodside owns 33.4 per cent and Osaka Gas holds 10 per cent.
