ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Universities, training institutes, seminaries: the Church is committed to the education of young people, the future of the nation

by Paolo Affatato

Dili (Agenzia Fides) - At the entrance to the Catholic University of St. John Paul II in Dili, a monument stands in honor of Pope Wojtyla. The university is the first in the small, developing nation of Southeast Asia since its independence in 2002. Inaugurated in 2021, during the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the institute reaffirms its deep bond with Pope John Paul II, who visited East Timor in 1989, when it was still under Indonesian rule and the country was fighting for its freedom and independence. On that visit, the Pontiff brought a message of peace, hope and love, expressing his closeness to the suffering of the Timorese people.
"This message continues to resonate in our hearts with great joy today, especially with the arrival of Pope Francis, who invites us to make our faith an integral part of our culture," said Father Joel Casimiro Pinto, OFM, Friar Minor and Rector of the Universidade Católica Timorense (UCT) S. João Paulo II. In addition to being Rector, Brother Pinto is an outstanding musician, and during Pope Francis' Mass on the esplanade of Tasi tolu, he was the one who directed the choir and the orchestra of more than a thousand members who, from all over the country, gathered to liven up the liturgy, the various moments and the meetings with Pope Francis.
"The university represents the contribution of the Catholic Church to the comprehensive formation of young people, so that they grow as people of faith and culture, animated by values such as peace, tolerance, justice, democracy, inclusiveness; ready to put themselves at the service of others, especially the poor and the most vulnerable, in the logic of the Gospel. This is the type of education inspired by Christian values that we cultivate here," explains the rector. The objective is "to provide quality education in all areas of human activity and to prepare future generations for the labor market of today's society, to form a leading class of the nation, as the Pope has stressed," he continues. The University, like other social works run by the Church, receives funding from the government, which recognizes its role and its public utility. The university has four faculties: education, arts and culture; health sciences; humanities; and agricultural engineering. "We currently have 1,700 students. There are many young people applying to be admitted: every year we have more than 1,500 applications and we can only accept 500." Among young East Timorese there is a great desire to grow and contribute to the future of the nation."
According to official statistics, young people under 30 in East Timor are about 70% of the population. Due to unemployment, many emigrate to South Korea, Australia, Europe and, once settled in these societies, they send their remittances to their families of origin to improve their economic conditions. The East Timorese government has put in place measures to encourage the development and entrepreneurship of young people, for example by promoting new technologies for agriculture and promoting projects throughout the country to create small businesses and try to curb the phenomenon of emigration.
As Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao told Fides, the government intends to create a special Development Bank to grant microcredits to young people.
The Catholic University has moved in this direction, favouring faculties that can be decisive for the growth and development of the nation. "We see that the young people of East Timor have vision, ambition and hope. In their lives, at home or abroad," says Fr Pinto, "whether they graduate or are already engaged in the world of work, they maintain and live their faith," he concludes. Father Graciano Santos, Vicar General of Dili, describing the reality of the interdiocesan major seminary in the Fatumeta area of Dili, where nearly 300 young people are currently being trained, comments: "The young people believe in Christ and place their trust in Him. This is reflected in the flourishing of vocations to the priesthood. In addition, there are a similar number of students in the minor seminary in Dili, while another 130 young people are in the preparatory year," stressing that this reality is a source of great hope for the local Church. "I have asked the Pope to pray for our seminary," says Tito, a 27-year-old major seminarian. Tarcisio, 30 years old and also a seminarian, adds: "I also hope that the Holy Father prays for us and that he always carries the people of Timor in his heart." To accompany the cultural growth of young people, the Church of East Timor has also created in Dili the Institute of Philosophy and Theology, which "expresses the mission of the Church in the field of human and spiritual formation," explains Father Justin Tanec, Rector, to Fides. The center welcomes about 350 students from the three dioceses of East Timor, including seminarians, consecrated persons and lay people. "Our mission combines 'fides et ratio', that is, deepening the faith and the study of science to understand and explore this relationship. This is what we have tried to do on the occasion of the visit of Pope Francis, which has been a balm for our young people and our Church," he concludes. (Agenzia Fides, 11/9/2024)

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