Title: Church leader speaks out against human rights violations
Date: November 6, 1997
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
97b-60
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Five years ago the Rev. Arlindo Marcal helped bring to light human rights violations in the tiny country of East Timor. Ever since, he has continued to be a unifying voice for the Protestant Church of East Timor.
The religious leader recently was in Indianapolis, sharing his story with members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). While at the Disciples Center, Marcal picked up an "Award of Affirmation," presented to him by the Common Global Ministries Board during the 1995 General Assembly.
The award is "given to individuals whose prophetic witness is a sign of God's reign in the world," said the Rev. Pat Tucker Spier, president, Disciples' Division of Overseas Ministries. It often is given to people "who are in risk-taking ministries."
Marcal played "a significant role in giving voice to the East Timorese Church," Spier said. "At a significant meeting of the World Council of Churches in Hong Kong he requested that East Timor be able to speak for itself rather than being included in the Indonesian voice."
As moderator of the Protestant Church of East Timor, Marcal heads a church comprising both Timorese and Indonesian members. He is "committed to the wholeness of the church and keeping it one body in Christ," said Spier. "His is a difficult role."
His country has been wracked by civil war since being overrun by forces from western neighbor, Indonesia. The 1975 invasion of his country forced Marcal into hiding for several years. He was arrested and threatened with imminent execution, but was finally released after months of detention.
Human rights abuses in East Timor continued unabated until a 1992 massacre led to the death or abduction of 270 persons. A U.S. journalist who happened to be present brought the situation to the world's attention. Marcal spoke out later in the year during the World Council of Churches gathering.
During his U.S. visit, he said the Disciples of Christ and other church groups lend important moral support to their efforts. U.S. church bodies have helped them "keep our faith and spirit. We feel we are not alone anymore."
Marcal also helps U.S. churches figure out "how we deal with quite different points of view in our communions," said Spier. The challenge is "living with integrity but keeping the vision of one body before us."
Protestants or Christians are a tiny minority in East Timor. Most persons still practice the animist religion. Still others are Muslim adherents. "We want to be the alternative," Marcal said.
Their particular difficulty is in figuring out "how to speak . . . how to defend the people living in this situation," said Marcal. Joining the Protestant church in that task, however, is the Catholic Church which condemned the human rights violations early on. In fact, Catholic Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo is one of two Timorese recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
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