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Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Pope Francis on Monday landed in the island nation of Timor-Leste, issuing a call for protection for youth as the country is embroiled in a clergy abuse scandal. Francis urged that "everything possible" be done to prevent "every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people."
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"Let us not forget the many children and adolescents whose dignity has been violated," he said.
The visit comes as Bishop Ximenes Belo has been disciplined by the Vatican amid accusations that he abused young boys in the 1980s and 1990s.
The church said it had restricted Belo's movements and prohibited voluntary contact with minors in 2020 but the Survivors Network of the Abused by Priests in Oceania said there had "still not been redress for his victims and that church funds should be used to compensate them.
Currently, it is not clear according to Pope Francis's schedule that he will meet with Belo and has not scheduled a meeting with the Survivors Network Abused by Priests in Oceania. There has been some speculation about the pope offering an apology for the scandal but that is not clear as well.
Francis was greeted at Labato International Airport in the capital of Lili by Timor-Leste President Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. He was cheered by thousands as he eventually made his way to the Presidential Palace for the country's official welcome.
Timor-Leste, the only majority-Catholic country the pope is visiting. Pope John Paul II was the first pope to visit Timor-Leste in 1989 when it was then occupied by Indonesia. The country gained its independence in 2002.
Francis on Monday congratulated the nation on more than 20 years of "peace and freedom" since becoming independent.
The Vatican said the pope will hold Mass Tuesday at the Taci Tolu Esplanade, which is expected to draw visitors from Indonesia and Australia. He is expected to meet local children, clergy, and Jesuit priests.
