The Vatican announced on Thursday that it has imposed disciplinary sanctions on East Timorese bishop Ximenes Belo in the past two years, over allegations that the Nobel Peace Prize winner sexually assaulted minors in his country in the 1990s.
In a statement, the Vatican spokesman said the cabinet dealing with sexual abuse cases received allegations “about the bishop’s conduct” in 2019 and had imposed sanctions within a year.
These sanctions include restrictions on the bishop’s movements and the exercise of his office, as well as a ban on voluntary contact with minors or with East Timor.
These measures were “adjusted and strengthened” in November 2021, and on both occasions Ximenes Belo formally accepted the sentence, spokesman Matteo Bruni added in the statement.
The Dutch newspaper De Groene Amsterdammer on Wednesday published testimonies of alleged victims of sexual abuse when they were minors, crimes that are believed to have been committed for several years by the bishop, former apostolic director of Dili and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
In its online edition, the paper explains that it has interviewed several victims and 20 people with knowledge of the case, including “individuals, members of the government, politicians, civil society workers and elements of the Church”.
“More than half of the people know a victim of abuse personally and others are aware of the case. De Groene Amsterdammer spoke with other victims who refused to tell their story in the media,” says journalist Tjirske Lingsma.
The paper explains that the first investigations into this alleged abuse date back to 2002, when an East Timorese reported that his brother had been the victim of abuse.
In November of that year, Ximenes Belo announced his resignation from the position, citing health concerns and the need for a long recovery period.
“I suffer from mental and physical fatigue, which requires a long period of recovery,” Ximenes Belo said in a statement sharing that he had written to the Holy See requesting that he resign from the post of Apostolic Administrator of Dili , a position he has held since 1983. .
“I suffer from exhaustion, physical and psychological fatigue, so I need a long period of rest to fully recover my health,” the statement, quoted by Lusa at the time, said.
Ximenes Belo, now 74, explained that his request — written on the basis of Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law — was accepted by the then Pope John Paul II.
On Wednesday, the Vatican’s representative in East Timor told the Lusa news agency that the matter was with the appropriate authorities of the Holy See, without confirming whether or not the prelate was under investigation.
“Personally, I can neither confirm nor deny it, because it is a matter of seriousness on my part, as the jurisdiction belongs to my superiors in the Holy See,” Marco Sprizzi, Vatican representative in East Timor, told Lusa.
“This matter should be addressed directly to the Holy See,” he said, when asked about the truth of the allegations of alleged abuse of minors over several years by Ximenes Belo, who currently lives in Portugal, and which were published by the Dutch newspaper.
Source: DN
