Government of Timor-Leste

The elevation of Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva to Cardinal, the first of Timor-Leste, occurred on August 27^th, 2022, in a ceremony at Saint Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican, which had the presence of a government delegation, led by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães and also comprised by the Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, José Lucas do Carmo da Silva.

A Salesian priest, Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, has led the Church in Dili since 2016 and is, at the age of 54, one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals, a consultative body of the Pope whose role is to help him in the governance of the Catholic Church.

He made his aspirancy, pre-Seminary, in Fatumaca in 1983. He entered the novitiate, also in Fatumaca, in the year 1989-1990. He took his first vows on May 31^st, 1990. He did his philosophical studies and theology in the Philippines, in Canlubang and Parañaque, respectively. He took his final vows on March 19^th, 1997. He received his sacerdotal ordination in Parañaque, in the Philippines, on December 18^th, 1998. He was then assigned to the Salesian house in Venilale as bursar and vicar. In 2005, he was sent to Rome where he studied Spiritual Theology at the Salesian Pontifical University. Upon his return to Timor-Leste, he was appointed Master of Novices and Director of Fatumaca House, positions he held from 2008 until January 2014, when he took over as Provincial Superior.

The new Cardinal, after the announcement of the decision last May 29^th, said he was “convinced that Pope Francis did not want to offer this purple to him [Dom Virgilio] personally, but to the Church and the people of Timor-Leste” and added that “the people and the Church of Timor-Leste deserve this grace and this recognition from God, in a country where the Gospel arrived 500 years ago and which celebrated the 20th anniversary of its independence on May 20^th”. 

The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, in his congratulations message to Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, stated that “with the wise and clear-sighted decision of Pope Francis, he becomes the first Timorese called to perform functions of the highest importance within the Catholic Church representing Timor-Leste in the College of Cardinals” and Minister Fidelis also congratulated the new Cardinal “for this so honourable distinction, which represents an enormous pride for all the Timorese people and is a deserved recognition for his work and for his human qualities”.

Before the new cardinals' elevation ceremony, Minister Magalhães, accompanied by the Timorese government delegation, had the opportunity to pay a brief courtesy visit to Pope Francis, thanking him for this appointment and inviting the Pope to visit Timor-Leste. After the ceremony, the delegation attended a dinner hosted by Cardinal Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva. The dinner also had the participation of the Timorese community in Italy, United Kingdom, Portugal, Ireland and other European countries. During the Timorese government delegation's stay in Rome, the members of the Government held meetings with the World Food Program (WFP) Deputy Executive Director, Valerie Guarnieri, with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu and with the former World Food Program (WFP) Chief in Timor-Leste, Dagend Liu.

Meetings were also held with Professor João Inocêncio da Piedade, a Timorese Jesuit priest and professor of philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University, university of the Catholic Church in Rome, and with the Timorese community in Italy.

Ahead of the visit to Rome, from August 18^th to 24^th, 2022, the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Magalhães, made an official visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he held several official meetings, lectures and interviews for the local media.