Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli

Diocese of Díli Dioecesis Diliensis Diocese de Díli
Cathedral of Díli
Location
Country	East Timor
Metropolitan	Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Statistics
Area	4,276 km2 (1,651 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2010) 464,649 435,052 (93.6%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	4 September 1940
Cathedral	Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Dili
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Alberto Ricardo da Silva
Emeritus Bishops	Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo Apostolic Administrator Emeritus (1988-2002)
Map
Location of the Diocese of Díli

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli (Latin: Diliensis) 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]

In 1983 Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo S.D.B. took over the administration of Dili Diocese. Then the only diocese in the island, the 700,000 Catholics were divided into 30 parishes administered by 71 priests.^[2]

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.^[3]
• 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.^[4]
• 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.^[5]

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

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy