Belo, Bishop Carlos
(b. 1948), Peace advocate and Nobel laureate. Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo is known as an outspoken fighter for peace and reconciliation in East Timor. Born on 3 February 1948 near Baucau, East Timor, and educated at missionary schools in Timor, he left for Portugal in 1974 to study theology. During this time he became a member of the Salesian Order. Belo returned to East Timor in 1981 as the director of Fatumaca College, where he developed his famed ties with the Timorese youth. Two years later, the Vatican appointed him as Apostolic Administrator of the Dili Diocese, making him the head of the East Timor church, and in 1988 he was consecrated as bishop.
Bishop Belo's calls for peace and freedom began in 1989, when he wrote to the United Nations secretary-general, condemning the cruelty and abuses of the Indonesian military and denouncing the serious humanitarian situation in his home country. Despite strong pressure from the Indonesian government, he became a focal point for the expression of national aspirations and local culture. His outspokenness on behalf of peace in East Timor was honored in 1996 when he and José Ramos-Horta were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Oslo committee saw him not only as a mediator but also as a representative of hope for a better future. In independent East Timor after 1999, Bishop Belo became an advocate for a society built on compassion and reconciliation.
Further Reading
Gunn, Geoffrey C. (1997) East Timor and the UN: The Case for Intervention. Lawrenceville, NJ: Red Sea Press.
Kohen, Arnold S. (1999) From the Place of the Dead: The Epic Struggles of Bishop Belo of East Timor. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Siagan, Frans S., and Peter Tukan. (1997) Voice of the Voiceless. Jakarta, Indonesia: Penerbit Obor.
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