Second bishop installed in East Timor
By Lourenco Vicente Martins
BAUCAU, East Timor (JP): More than 50,000 people from across the province flocked here yesterday to watch the colorful inauguration of Bishop Basilio do Nascimento.
They lined the streets in and around the town, about 130 kilometers east of the capital Dili, to catch a glimpse of those at the ceremony.
Trumpets and thunderous cheers broke after the formalities when Portuguese Archbishop Maurilio Quintaldo de Gouveia declared Basilio the bishop of Baucau at Santo Antonio Cathedral.
Thousands stood patiently outside the cathedral in the scorching sun to witness the inauguration of East Timor's second bishop.
The ceremony was lively despite the absence of Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, who was accompanying Vatican ambassador Pietro Sambi, who was ill, back to Dili.
In his message read aloud at the ceremony, Pope John Paul II called for a prompt internationally acceptable solution to the problem of East Timor's sovereignty.
"The Holy See, together with the international community, hopes that a prompt and truly just, globally and internationally accepted solution will be found for the painful and complex question of East Timor," the Pope said.
The pope said an internationally acceptable solution could be achieved by way of sincere and fruitful dialog between all parties.
The Pope's message was read in Portuguese by Archbishop Maurilio and in English by East Timorese priest Rui Gomez.
East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, became part of Indonesia on July 20, 1976. But the United Nations still recognizes Portugal as its administrator.
Most of East Timor's 800,000 people are Roman Catholics. The Pope appointed Basilio as the bishop of Baucau to share the authority of Bishop Belo, the co-winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize. Belo is known for criticizing Jakarta's policies on East Timor.
The Pope stressed that the church had to play a greater role in the development of East Timor.
Covering the regencies of Baucau, Lautem, Viqueque and Manatuto in the eastern half of the province, the Baucau diocese has over 200,000 Catholics.
The Dili diocese, covering nine regencies, has more than 500,000 Catholics.
The ceremony was attended by provincial officials and military leaders.
After being installed, Basilio received congratulations from bishops of dioceses in other provinces, such as Ambon Bishop Lucas Mandagi, Banjarmasin Bishop Prajasuto and Atambua Bishop Antonio Pain Ratu.
Director General of Catholics at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Imam Kuseno, legislator Marcel Beding and former East Nusa Tenggara governor Ben Mboy attended the ceremony.