Church is not a political force: Bishop Belo

DILI, East Timor (JP): Although the church is a strong force in predominantly Roman Catholic East Timor, it never even thinks of becoming a political actor, according to this year's joint Nobel peace prize winner Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo.

"First and foremost, the church should not become a political force," he said.

Speaking at his home, Belo said it would be a regression for the church to meddle in state political affairs.

"If it were to happen we would be returning to the middle ages when a bishop could become a prince, a king, a trader and so on," he said.

In the past the church has been described as one of the three main political pillars in East Timor along with the government and the army.

While denouncing a formal political role for the church, Belo asserted that it remained an integral part of the East Timorese people's activities.

All Catholics who have been baptized are members of the church. Thus the people are the church and the church is the people, said Belo who on Friday was selected as the 1996 Nobel peace prize winner along with East Timorese separatist leader Jose Ramos Horta.

Belo said his work had and would continue to focus on bringing peace to the East Timorese people because respect for human dignity was the essence of mankind's existence.

He believes it was his work which finally prompted the Nobel committee to select him for the award.

Belo does not oppose East Timor's integration into Indonesia but is known for his criticism of some of Jakarta's policies in the former Portuguese colony.

"Why do I oppose arrests, torture and killings? Because God didn't make East Timorese to be tortured and killed. God made them to live!" he said.

He lamented that certain people did not want to hear about these misdeeds. "People only want to hear about the good things, while the bad ones are hidden so no one will know about them," he said.

Nobel

Meanwhile in Semarang, Central Java, Moslem intellectual Nurcholish Madjid criticized Horta and Belo's selection as this year's Nobel peace prize co-winners. He said they were "unimpressive" figures who did not deserve the prestigious award.

"Well, Belo is still acceptable because he's done things in East Timor. But for Horta there's absolutely no excuse why he should receive it," said Nurcholish.

Separately East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, who was in Jakarta yesterday, said Bishop Belo had not yet decided whether to attend the Nobel prize presentation ceremony in Oslo on Dec. 10.

"That's up to him...but there's certainly no problem if he wishes to go there," he said.

Soares again reiterated his pride at having a fellow Timorese win the prize. "As an East Timorese I happily welcome Belo's selection as the Nobel peace prize winner," he said.

Soares is the highest ranking official to express kudos at the award. President Soeharto, on a visit to Dili on Tuesday, also failed to mention or congratulate Belo on his award.

"The Bishop is an East Timorese and an Indonesian citizen. We don't mind him being selected. The problem is that Horta is being put on the same plain as Belo," Soares said, adding that Horta was nothing more than a war criminal who fled East Timor. (03/har/imn/mds)