Editing Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo (section)

==Apostolic administrator ==
After Monsignor [[Martinho da Costa Lopes]] was removed as apostolic administrator in 1983, his position remained vacant until Belo was appointed titular bishop of [[Lorium]] and apostolic administrator of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli|Diocese of Dili]], the senior official of the Catholic Church in East Timor, on 21 March 1988.<ref>{{cite book | page = 1624 | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-80-1988-ocr.pdf | volume = LXXX | date = 1988 | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis }}</ref> On 19 June 1988, he was consecrated a bishop by the [[Apostolic Nunciature to Indonesia|Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia]], Archbishop [[Francesco Canalini]].<ref>{{cite book | last =Fernandes | first =C.| title = The Independence of East Timor | publisher =Sussex Academic Press | date = 2011 }}{{page needed|date=September 2022}}</ref> He chose as his episcopal motto ''Caritas Veritatis-Veritas Caritatis''.{{sfn|Tukan|de Sousa|1997|p=49}}

Belo continued on Lopes' path and after five months of taking office he preached a sermon that denounced the [[Kraras massacre]] of 1983 and condemned the many Indonesian arrests. He undertook a program of overseas contacts to counter the world's ignorance of the violence in East Timor.

In February 1989 he wrote to the president of Portugal, the pope, and the secretary-general of the United Nations calling for the UN to sponsor and oversee a referendum on the future of East Timor and for international assistance for the East Timorese, who were "dying as a people and a nation". This appeal to the UN became public in April. He further antagonized Indonesian authorities when he gave sanctuary in his own home to youths escaping the [[Santa Cruz massacre]] in 1991 and endeavoured to expose how many were killed.

Belo's labours on behalf of the East Timorese and in pursuit of peace and reconciliation were recognised when, along with [[José Ramos-Horta]], he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 10 December 1996.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper = New York Times | access-date = 2 October 2022 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/11/world/treading-softly-but-firmly-timor-bishop-accepts-nobel.html | date = 11 December 1996 | title = Treading Softly, but Firmly, Timor Bishop Accepts Nobel }}</ref>{{efn|Their selection as recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize was announced on 12 October 1996.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper = New York Times | access-date = 2 October 2022 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/12/world/timorese-bishop-and-exile-given-nobel-peace-prize.html | title = Timorese Bishop and Exile Given Nobel Peace Prize | first = Philip | last = Shenon | date = 12 October 1996 }}</ref>}} Belo capitalised upon this honour by meeting with a variety of world leaders, including US President [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Nelson Mandela]] of South Africa.

Following East Timor's independence on 20 May 2002, Belo went to Portugal for several months of medical treatment. He later said he was "suffering from both physical and mental fatigue that will require a long period of recuperation". He and Bishop [[Basílio do Nascimento]], the administrator of another diocese in East Timor, met privately with the pope on 28 October 2002.<ref>{{cite press release | publisher = [[Holy See Press Office]] | access-date = 1 October 2022 | date = 26 November 2002 | language = it | title = Le Udienze, 28.10.2002| url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2002/10/28/0531/01665.html  }}</ref>
[[Pope John Paul II]] accepted his resignation as [[Apostolic Administrator]] of Dili on 26 November 2002. Nascimento was named to succeed him.<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 30 September 2022 | url = https://etan.org/et2002c/november/24-30/27resign.htm | first = John | last = Thavis | agency = Catholic News Service | title = Bishop Belo, Nobel winner, resigns as head of E Timor diocese | via = East Timor and Indonesia Action Network }}</ref> The Vatican announcement did not explain his retirement at the age of 54, but cited the provision of canon law that allows a bishop to retire for grave reasons or health problems.<ref>{{cite press release | publisher = [[Holy See Press Office]] | access-date = 1 October 2022 | date = 26 November 2002 | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 26.11.2002| url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2002/11/26/0584/01850.html }}</ref><ref name=horowitz/>