DILI, 16 May 2025 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s Priest Domingos da Silva Soares Maubere—widely known as Father Maubere for his significant contributions to the country’s struggle for self-determination and human rights—passed away today at the age of 73 at Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV), after being hospitalized for more than a week.
Fr. Maubere, who had previously undergone medical treatment in Malaysia, died from complications related to multiple illnesses.
The illnesses Fr. Maubere suffered had reached an advanced stage, and HNGV provided only palliative care, as no other treatment options were available.
During the struggle for Timor-Leste’s independence, Maubere was instrumental in informing the international community about human rights abuses in Timor-Leste.
He was born on May 12, 1952, in Ermera Municipality, where he grew up in a farming family.
Maubere was ordained as a priest in Portugal in 1978 and returned to Timor in 1980, where he first served as parish priest in Viqueque.
In 1983, he was placed under house arrest. Four years later, in 1987, he was relocated to Dili, where he continued his underground resistance work, maintaining contact with leaders Xanana Gusmão and Konis Santana and supporting guerrilla fighters.
In 1997, under growing pressure from Indonesian authorities, Father Maubere was once again forced into exile. During this time, he helped organize the founding congress of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) in Portugal. After returning to Timor-Leste, he served as the CNRT coordinator in Dili.
He also endured the turbulent period surrounding the 1999 independence referendum. To escape militia violence, Maubere fled to the mountains, making the arduous journey to Mount Ramelau, where he sought refuge and solace in prayer.
The body of the late Fr. Maubere will be transferred today to his home village in Letefoho, Ermera, giving his family, loved ones, and the local Catholic community to pay their final tribute. His funeral is scheduled for Monday, 19 May 2025, at around 10am local time at the Catholic Priests’ Cemetery in Maloa, Ailoklaran, Dili.
TATOLI
