DILI, 12 april 2024 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste Catholic Church, led by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Dili, President of the Timorese Episcopal Conference (CET – Portuguese acronym), and the General Coordinator of the Team of Timor-Leste’s Church for Papal visit, Cardinal Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, together with Papal Nuncio to Timor-Leste, Monsignor Marco Sprizzi official announce the date of the visit of Pope Francis to the country.
Pope Francis’ visit to Timor-Leste, the most predominantly Catholic country in Asia, will take place between 9 and 11 september 2024.
“With great joy and honor, we officially announce the date of the Apostolic Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Timor-Leste … from 9 to 11 september 2024,” said in a statement read by the CET General Secretary, Father Carlos Roben Pereira, in Dili, on friday (12/04).
The visit of Pope Francis will be a historic event for the Timorese people, who ardently desire the presence of the Holy Father in this blessed land, where simple people live their faith in Jesus Christ.
The statement said that the Pope’s official visit to Timor-Leste had been planned since 2020, but it was not realized due to the Covid-19 pandemic: “And today, we thank His Holiness with immense joy for the confirmation of his coming to Timor-Leste.”
“As a sign of our gratitude and love for the Holy Father, the Church’s preparation team is working tirelessly, together with the Papal Nuncio, to ensure the success of this visit by the successor of St Peter, Pastor of the Universal Church,” said the statement.
Cardinal Silva and Monsignor Sprizzi jointly thanked the Timorese State, starting with the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, as well as the Government’s preparation team for the Papal Visit, for their excellent collaboration and effort in the organizational and logistical preparation, so that all the Timorese people are facilitated to participate and be together with the Holy Father, who comes mainly to meet them and strengthen Timor-Leste’s Church in the faith and love of Christ.
“On behalf of the Timorese Episcopal Conference and the Papal Nuncio to Timor-Leste, we call on all our dear brothers and sisters to collaborate and work together during this time of preparation. And above all, let us prepare ourselves with an intense prayer to welcome the Holy Father, so that his visit may be a moment in which we reinvigorate our participation in building our ecclesial and civil community, in living our faith, and purifying our culture,” CET Secretary General, Father Pereira appealed.
Vatican News reported that Pope Francis will visit four Asian nations in early september, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.
“The Pope is scheduled to depart Rome on september 2 and return on september 13. He travels first to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, where he will land on september 3 and remain until september 6. Pope Francis will then fly east to visit Port Moresby, the capital of Papual New Guinea, and Vanimo on september 6-9. His next stop will be in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, on september 9-11. From there, the Pope will travel to Singapore for a 3-day visit on september 11-13,” reported Vatican News.
Journalist: Jose Belarmino de Sa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
