Serving the Churches of East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands

East Timor – a flourishing Church

East Timor (or Timor-Leste) is the second largest Catholic country in Asia, second only to the Philippines. The Church in East Timor is flourishing, and political and civil authorities also appreciate the mission it carries out, especially in education, health care, human formation and social works. The laity's cooperation in various diocesan and parish activities - such as catechesis - is good. Regarding the youth, great efforts have been made to strengthen pastoral care, especially with the aim of training young people so that they themselves become the evangelizers of their peers. As for preparation to marriage, courses are offered in the form of thematic meetings.

Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands - The family at the center

Characterized by a very peculiar geographic shape, given that it belongs to the Indonesian Archipelago, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are distinguished by linguistic fragmentation and isolation of some communities. Only 1/5 of the population claims to be Catholic, but in general the work of the Church in the social, health and educational fields is highly appreciated. There are several active lay movements; the formation of the laity is mainly entrusted to homilies and meetings organized in proximity of important liturgical moments. Due to the vast distances between communities, formation and evangelization make use of media such as Facebook and Youtube, as well as Catholic radio stations. Youth ministry is seen as a priority and, in some dioceses, it is included in the Church's broad "Human Integral Formation" project. Finally, in the wake of Amoris Laetitia, on behalf of the local Church there is a clear commitment to put the family at the center.