New seminary building inaugurated in Dili<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Vatican Ambassador to Indonesia Monsignor Pietro
\nSambi and Bishop of East Timor Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo
\nyesterday inaugurated a new seminary building in the village of
\nBalide, in Dili, the capital of East Timor.<\/p>\n
The inauguration of the Nossa Senhora de Fatima Seminary
\nbuilding was slightly marred by a group of young East Timorese
\nwho staged an anti-government protest, according to Antara.<\/p>\n
The youths shouted abuse and paraded banners to state their
\ncause, the news agency said, without identifying what it was.<\/p>\n
The solemn ceremony, attended by more than 1,000 people,
\nproceeded without interruption, but the incident upset Bishop
\nBelo, who, after his guests left, returned to the podium to speak
\nsome harsh words to the youths.<\/p>\n
"I deeply regret and totally oppose your action. This is not
\nthe place to do the things you did," said Belo, who is the head
\nof the majority Roman Catholic community in East Timor.<\/p>\n
One of the ceremony's organizers, Father Jacinto Francisco
\nXavier, approached the youths and asked them to over the banners.
\nSome complied.<\/p>\n
He said he could not accept that the ceremony should be marred
\nby the youths' behavior, "especially as we have guests from
\noverseas."<\/p>\n
He also said the incident was disrespectful to Bishop Belo,
\nwho celebrated his 48th birthday yesterday.<\/p>\n
The seminary, the largest building of its kind in East Timor,
\nis on a 4,500 square meter site. The Rp 3.77 billion ($1.6
\nmillion) structure comes complete with a laboratory, computer
\nequipment and many other facilities.<\/p>\n
The funding came from donations from the government, private
\nlocal and foreign organizations and the East Timorese people.<\/p>\n
Bishop Belo and Monsignor Pietro Sambi signed the plaque to
\ninaugurate the building. The Bishop also led a holy mass that was
\nattended by Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, Director General
\nfor Catholic Affairs Ignasius Imam Kusenomiharjo and the speaker
\nof the East Timor legislative council Antonio F. Parada.<\/p>\n
Kusenomiharjo, reading a speech by Minister of Religious
\nAffairs Tarmizi Taher, said the seminary is expected to produce
\npriests who would not only dedicate their services to Roman
\nCatholicism in East Timor, but also elsewhere in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The East Timor Diocese is administered directly by the Vatican
\nand not by the Indonesian Arch Diocese in Jakarta. The Vatican's
\npolicy on East Timor follows that of the United Nations, which
\ndoes not recognize Indonesia's rule over the province. (emb)<\/p>",
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