DILI, 25 April 2025 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, considered Pope Francis “an exemplary figure” who, during his 12-year pontificate, consistently promoted peace and love as central tenets of his ministry, urging people to prioritize peace, justice, and love for one another.
Gusmão, who was on a private trip to Australia, was informed by President José Ramos-Horta about Pope Francis’s death on Monday (21/04) at the age of 88.
Gusmão recalled that Timor-Leste declared seven days of national mourning throughout the country as a sign of condolence for the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, during which the national flag must be flown at half-mast on all public buildings, including embassies, consulates, and other state representations abroad, as well as on state vessels.
Gusmão said that Pope Francis was widely praised for signing the ‘Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ in Abu Dhabi in 2019. This document, signed jointly with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb — also known as the Abu Dhabi agreement — emphasizes the importance of religious unity in building peace and fostering a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure at the Vatican on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. local time in Rome, at the age of 88.
The Pope’s funeral has been scheduled for Saturday (26/04), and three Timorese leaders, including President Ramos-Horta, Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, and Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas will be among the many world leaders to attend the funeral.
Timor-Leste will hold an open-air memorial mass in Tasi-Tolu, Dili, this Saturday to honor the memory of His Holiness Pope Franci
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