| Subject: LUSA: Catholic bishops blast gov't
for causing 'great offense' to church
East Timor: Catholic bishops blast gov't for causing 'great offense' to
church
Dili, April 11 (Lusa)- An increasingly bitter dispute between the
government of East Timor and the country's spiritual leaders over plans to
demote religious teaching in schools escalated Monday after two Roman
Catholic bishops accused the Dili executive of causing "great
offense" to their church.
In a joint press release, Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili and
Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Baucau said a March 24 government
statement attacked "the conviction and fundamental references of the
Timrorese", and "diminished the sacred scripture".
Last month's government criticism against the Catholic Church was in
response to what Foreign Minister José Ramos Horta had described as
"unwanted interference" in state plans to make religious
instruction in public schools an optional subject.
Under the scheme being piloted in 32 schools, Timor's various
established churches will take responsibility for teaching religion.
In their communiqué, Timor's two senior Catholic prelates also
criticized the recent creation of Dili and Jakarta of a Truth and
Friendship Commission, a body which will neither give moral compensation
to victims of war crimes nor punish those who committed them.
"The people will not accept impunity for crimes against humanity.
The victims who suffered these crimes, their families and the people in
whose name the crimes were committed deserve more than this".
EL/CJB.
Lusa
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