While the Catholic Church receives millions of dollars from the state, minority religions struggle for funds
Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak (right) and Timorese bishops during the signing of an agreement to renew funding for the Catholic Church’s activities on May 17. (Photo: Facebook)
The US State Department in its annual religious freedom report has pointed out the Timor-Leste government’s discriminatory practices against non-Catholics, including Muslims and Protestants.
The report released on June 2 raises the issue of a government allocation of US$15 million to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Timor (CET) for distribution among the country’s three Catholic dioceses of Dili, Maliana and Baucau.
“Non-Catholic groups reported tensions regarding unequal allocation of government funds since non-Catholic religious groups needed to apply for funding from a separate source instead of receiving a dedicated budget allocation,” the report said.
The fund for the Catholic Church is a realization of the concordat signed between the Vatican and Timor-Leste during a visit by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in 2015 when the Catholic-majority country celebrated 100 years of evangelization.
It established the legal framework for bilateral relations between the two countries and became the basis for an agreement spanning a five-year period (2017-22), which stipulated annual contributions, subject to government financial availability, for social activities, education and ecclesiastical governance for the Catholic Church. On May 17, the cooperation was extended for another five years.
“There is no official state religion, although Catholicism is the predominant religion,” the report sought to remind the Southeast Asian nation that became a sovereign state just two decades ago.
It also highlighted how notaries rejected marriage and birth certificates from religious organizations other than the Catholic Church when submitted as supporting documentation
The report noted that last year the Civil Society Support Office allocated a $250,000 grant to the Muslim community to support their religious activities and education and a $237,000 grant to build two Protestant churches in Viqueque and on Atauro island.
The report mentioned the $110,000 grant provided for Asosiasaun Turizmu Relijiouzu Timor-Leste, a faith-based tourism association, to support its work.
It also highlighted how notaries rejected marriage and birth certificates from religious organizations other than the Catholic Church when submitted as supporting documentation required by individuals registering for schools and for other official acts.
“The [Muslim and Protestant] leaders stated this occurred on an ad hoc rather than systematic basis, and authorities resolved the incidents by addressing them with the notarial office director,” it said.
In addition, the report mentioned the “continuing strong societal pressure for individuals to remain in the Catholic Church, particularly from family or community members … who criticized their members because of their religious beliefs.”
Haji Abduullah Inacio Antonio Soares, vice-president of the Timor-Leste Muslim Community, said that as a minority they indeed enjoy a peaceful life with other religions in the country, especially Catholics who make up more than 97 percent of the 1.4 million population, but he supports the issues raised in the report.
Commenting on the grant issue, he said: “We certainly don’t expect donations of the same amount as the Catholic Church. But what we hope is that the mechanism is the same — that is, it is allocated directly by the government without requiring them to submit proposals.”
Indeed, every time they submit a proposal, the government always accepts it with different amounts of funds every year, he added.
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