Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli
Diocese of Díli
Dioecesis Diliensis |
| Location |
| Country |
Timor-Leste |
| Metropolitan |
Immediately Subject to the Holy See |
| Statistics |
| Area |
7,767 km2 (2,999 sq mi) |
Population
- Total
- Catholics |
(as of 2006)
789,701
663,331 (84.0%) |
| Information |
| Rite |
Latin Rite |
| Cathedral |
Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
| Current leadership |
| Bishop |
Alberto Ricardo da Silva |
| Map |
Location of the Diocese of Díli |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli (Latin: Dilien(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Díli in Timor-Leste.
The country’s only Major Seminary, the Seminary of SS Peter and Paul is located within the Diocese.[1]
History
- September 4, 1940: Established as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau.
- On September 4, 1990 the diocese celebrated its 50th anniversary.[2]
- In 2009 the government gave US$1.5 million to two dioceses in East Timor — Dili and Baucau, which they are to receive annually “to run social programs for people”. Poverty remains a massive problem since independence in 2002, with about half of the 1 million population unemployed and 45 per cent living on less than US$1 a day.[3]
- February 1, 2010: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dili loses territory to form the newly-erected Roman Catholic Diocese of Maliana, the third Roman Catholic diocese in East Timor
- Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass with crowds of young people of East Timor on October 12, 1989. In 2008 a chapel and statue were built and dedicated in his honor in the suburb of Tasi-Tolu, in the Diocese. These were blessed by the Apostolic Nuncio of East Timor, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.[4]
Leadership
Bishops of Díli (Roman rite)
-
- Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva (February 27, 2004 – present)
- Bishop Basilio do Nascimento (Apostolic Administrator November 26, 2002 – February 27, 2004)
- Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, S.D.B. (Apostolic Administrator 1983 – November 26, 2002)
- Fr. Martinho da Costa Lopes (later Msgr.) (Apostolic Administrator 1977 – 1983)
- Bishop José Joaquim Ribeiro (January 31, 1967 – October 22, 1977)
- Bishop Jaime Garcia Goulart (October 12, 1945 – January 31, 1967)
References