Young people in Timor-Leste are overjoyed by Pope’s visit

By Fr. Bernardo Suate and Lisa Zengarini – Dili

Ricardo Da Costa Belo is a member of the National Commission of Catholic Youth of East Timor. He spoke to Father Bernardo Suate of Vatican News about the participation of young Timorese Catholics in the life and initiatives of the Church, as well as the challenges facing youth ministry in this young nation. He said he hoped that the joyful and peaceful atmosphere surrounding this historic event could help bring long-term peace and stability to Timorese society, which still faces violence, including among its young population.

Q: Can you tell us about youth participation in the Church in Timor Leste?

There are many young people active in several church and secular organizations that work with young people.

An increasing number of young people are participating in Church activities, including Laudato Si movements, parish and missionary activities. However, access to government-sponsored public activities is more limited due to several limitations, especially in rural areas.

Q. What are the main challenges you face today?

In Timor-Leste, we face many challenges, especially for young people. The most important is access to education. Education standards in Timor-Leste are still far behind those of other countries, especially in public schools, because the government has not made education a priority.

Another problem is the spread of martial arts halls for self-defense that have become very popular among young people. Martial arts are not bad in themselves, but some young people use them for other purposes, to fight.

Q: Do you think Pope Francis will bring something good to the youth of Timor-Leste?

As you know, our country is predominantly Catholic and the young people are also largely Catholic. Pope Francis has brought a good atmosphere here, especially to young Catholics.

Before the preparation of the visit, we had many problems of violence among young people. But when the news of the visit became known, violence and crime among young people decreased. This is why, perhaps, the presence of the Pope brought some peace among the young people of this country.

When the Pope arrived yesterday, September 9, most of the people who were in the streets to welcome him were young Catholics. They were really excited to welcome our dear Pope. Some were even moved. And this is positive. We hope that this will continue, that peace and stability will continue in our society and also in our local Church.