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Catholic Church in Timor-Leste
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Catholic Church in Timor-Leste
The Catholic Church in Timor-Leste is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome.
Upon its independence from Indonesia, Timor-Leste became only the second predominantly Catholic country in Asia (after the Philippines), a legacy of its status as a former Portuguese colony.
About 98.3% of the population was Catholic in Timor-Leste in 2016, which meant over 1,000,000 faithful.
The country was divided into three dioceses: Dili, Baucau and Maliana (erected in 2010). These dioceses are immediately subject to the Holy See.
The Apostolic Nunciature to East Timor is Marco Sprizzi, who took over from Wojciech Załuski in 2022.
In the early 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders made contact with Timor-Leste. A Dominican mission was sent by the bishop of Malacca to Solor in 1562, and became established at Lifau in present-day Timor-Leste in 1641. Portugal took over and maintained control of Timor-Leste until 1974, with a brief occupation by Japan during World War II.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and annexed the former Portuguese colony. East Timorese animist belief systems did not fit with Indonesia's constitutional monotheism, resulting in mass conversions to Christianity. Portuguese clergy were replaced with Indonesian priests (especially with Javanese priests) and Latin and Portuguese Mass was replaced by Indonesian Mass. Officially splitting from the Portuguese Church in 1975, the Church in East Timor never joined the Indonesian Church. The Church played an important role in society during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. While just 20% of East Timorese called themselves Catholics at the time of the 1975 invasion, the figure surged to reach 95% by the end of the first decade after the invasion.
During the occupation, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo became one of the most prominent advocates for human rights in Timor-Leste and many priests and nuns risked their lives in defending citizens from military abuses.
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Catholic Church in Timor-Leste
The Catholic Church in Timor-Leste is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome.
Upon its independence from Indonesia, Timor-Leste became only the second predominantly Catholic country in Asia (after the Philippines), a legacy of its status as a former Portuguese colony.
About 98.3% of the population was Catholic in Timor-Leste in 2016, which meant over 1,000,000 faithful.
The country was divided into three dioceses: Dili, Baucau and Maliana (erected in 2010). These dioceses are immediately subject to the Holy See.
The Apostolic Nunciature to East Timor is Marco Sprizzi, who took over from Wojciech Załuski in 2022.
In the early 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders made contact with Timor-Leste. A Dominican mission was sent by the bishop of Malacca to Solor in 1562, and became established at Lifau in present-day Timor-Leste in 1641. Portugal took over and maintained control of Timor-Leste until 1974, with a brief occupation by Japan during World War II.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and annexed the former Portuguese colony. East Timorese animist belief systems did not fit with Indonesia's constitutional monotheism, resulting in mass conversions to Christianity. Portuguese clergy were replaced with Indonesian priests (especially with Javanese priests) and Latin and Portuguese Mass was replaced by Indonesian Mass. Officially splitting from the Portuguese Church in 1975, the Church in East Timor never joined the Indonesian Church. The Church played an important role in society during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. While just 20% of East Timorese called themselves Catholics at the time of the 1975 invasion, the figure surged to reach 95% by the end of the first decade after the invasion.
During the occupation, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo became one of the most prominent advocates for human rights in Timor-Leste and many priests and nuns risked their lives in defending citizens from military abuses.
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