PM Gusmão receives remains of three Timorese Catholic prelates in Bal

DÍLI, 31 August 2026 (TATOLI) — Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão received on Saturday the remains of three prominent Timorese Catholic prelates who arrived in Bali from Portugal.

The remains of Bishop Jaime Garcia Goulart, Bishop José Joaquim Ribeiro and Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes were received by Gusmão at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

They were later taken to Rumah Duka Mumbul, a mortuary chapel in Denpasar, where a memorial Mass was held on Sunday.

The Mass was presided over by Denpasar Bishop Silvester Tung Kiem San and attended by Gusmão and members of the Timorese community living in Bali.

The remains are expected to arrive in Dili on September 1 on an Aero Dili flight, according to the government.

Gusmão was in Bali for the fourth round of formal negotiations with Indonesia on the delimitation of the two countries’ maritime boundary.

The prime minister thanked Indonesian Customs officials, particularly the Bali team, for facilitating the procedures required to transfer the remains to Timor-Leste.

“I highly commend the Indonesian Customs authorities, especially in Bali, for their spirit of cooperation in facilitating this process. On behalf of the government and people of Timor-Leste, I express my gratitude to Indonesian Customs,” Gusmão said.

He said the international transfer of human remains involved several procedures, but cooperation between the authorities had allowed the process to be completed quickly and efficiently.

During the Mass, Bishop Tung Kiem San praised the three prelates for their dedication to the Catholic Church, the people and Timor-Leste.

He said they had served as pastors who remained close to local communities, listening to their suffering, sharing hope and strengthening their faith.

The three religious leaders played important roles in the Catholic Church in Timor-Leste and in the country’s history.

TATOLI