RI to ask for Vatican's assistance in E. Timor

RI to ask for Vatican's assistance in E. Timor

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher,
departing for the Vatican yesterday, said he would appeal for
Catholic leaders' help in finding resolutions to the religious
tension in East Timor.

"I hope my explanation about (the territory) will touch the
Vatican leaders, and that they will help solve problems,
especially regarding the Dili diocese," he told reporters.

However, the government will not intervene in "organizational
matters" of the papal government which concerns its jurisdiction
over East Timor' diocese, he said.

The East Timor diocese, under the leadership of Bishop Felipe
Ximenes Belo, is not under the Indonesian Bishop Conference;
instead, it is accountable directly to Rome.

Following the tension in the province, some parties have
demanded that Belo join the Indonesian Bishop Conference as a way
to reduce friction.

"We will just explain, and hope they'll listen and help for
the sake of everybody," Tarmizi was quoted as saying by Antara.

The minister left yesterday for a four-day visit to the
Vatican, accompanied by representatives of the Indonesian Council
of Ulemas, the Indonesian Communion of Churches, the Indonesian
Bishop Conference, officials and a number of legislators.

Tarmizi will pay a courtesy call to Pope John Paul II.

He said yesterday that he will explain how the Indonesian
community has done its part in solving the racial and religious
tension in the predominantly Catholic province.

An example of the efforts was the Forum for Communication and
Consultancy for Religious Leaders, established on Tuesday in a
bid to restore religious harmony following the recent riots
there.

"The (forum) people made those efforts because they wished to
place the interests of the public above individual or group
interests," he said.

Tarmizi accused "anti-integration elements" as being behind
the unrest in East Timor, feeding on the sensitive issue of
religious differences. "Their scenario makes the question of East
Timor even more difficult to resolve," he said. (swe)