East Timor

| PAPUA NEW GUINEA - VATICAN

With tensions running high in the country, the PNG government leaked some details about a possible visit, but the latter has not yet been confirmed. On several occasions, Francis said that he wants to visit, and a trip in 2020 was cancelled. Presently, plans are being worked out, with stops in Indonesia, Timor Leste, and perhaps even Singapore. But the visit’s feasibility will be determined later. For Card Ribat, looting is unacceptable but the “leaders in our government must own up to their people”.


The party led by Xanana Gusmão won over 40% of the vote and needs only one more seat to form a government. Observers hope that this victory will put the former Portuguese colony on the road to development. The first task of the new executive will be to work on economic diversification.

| 23/05/2023
| EAST TIMOR
by Mathias Hariyadi

The meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations opens today until Thursday. Indonesian President Jokowi proposes a " forum for dialogue " to end violence in Myanmar (ex-Burma), which "harms innocent people". Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats fired upon in Shan State are unharmed.

| 09/05/2023
| INDONESIA

In a report by a Dutch weekly, two men accuse the prelate of sexual abuse in the 1990s when they were underage. In November 2002 Bishop Ximenes Belo, then 54, suddenly resigned for health reasons and left the country. The paper’s investigation was brought to the attention of the competent dicasteries in the Vatican, this according to the nunciature in Timor-Leste.

| 29/09/2022
| TIMOR-LESTE – NETHERLANDS

During the ceremony, the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State met with President Ramos-Horta. In his address, he praised parliament for adding the Declaration on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam al Tayeb to the school curriculum.

| 22/09/2022
| TIMOR-LESTE – VATICAN
by Steve Suwannarat

Timor Leste has had observer status for years. Yesterday's visit by President José Ramos-Horta to Indonesia could see the small nation join the Association next year. Significantly, the meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo was held in the Indonesian capital.

| 20/07/2022
| TIMOR LESTE

The 54-year-old archbishop of Dili is one of the new cardinals announced by Pope Francis, an acknowledgment of faith in a land where the Gospel arrived 500 years ago. President-elect José Ramos-Horta congratulated the new cardinal. The new cardinal will serve a small country with a large Catholic majority where children and young people represent half of the population.

| 31/05/2022
| TIMOR-LESTE – VATICAN
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