1,000 Timorese, including president, attend Mass for reconciliation

Published: 2006-07-27

DILI, East Timor (CNS) -- About 1,000 people, including government officials and President Xanana Gusmao, attended a Mass for national reconciliation at the Dili cathedral. The July 25 Mass was to remember the approximately 20 people killed in recent months of violence that divided the largely Catholic nation. It also marked a formal end to hostilities that had occurred since April, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. During the memorial service, Gusmao placed flowers on the altar, and the choir sang as Leonia Falcao carried a bundle of flowers and her father's photo up the aisle. Martinho Falcao, 43, was among nine police officers gunned down by soldiers May 25 in Dili. The absence of army personnel at the Mass led some observers to doubt whether the army was willing to accept responsibility for the chaos. During the service, Australian troops stood guard outside.

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