Government of Timor-Leste

The Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo, inaugurated the Maria Auxiliadora School, of the Salesian Congregation, in Comoro, Díli.

The Head of the Government congratulated the Salesian Congregation, on behalf of his Government, for their efforts to create conditions that enable the development of young Timorese children through quality education, contributing to their education as citizens.

"The Government is aware of this apostolate of the Salesian Congregation in the area of human development, which is very important for the Timorese," said Rui Maria de Araújo.

With the students present at the inauguration, he shared the important principle of continuity: "Our leaders, in previous years, have begun this process. We who are here, standing before you, proceed their work and we hope that in the future, you are to continue with it forward. Here is the importance of continuity. "

He also referred to the motto, "He who opens a school closes a prison", asking the students to seize their new school.

The building of the Maria Auxiliadora School has started with the previous Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, through the Civil Society Fund, therefore Rui Maria de Araújo mentioned that he should also be thanked

With regard to the question about why the Government is continuously investing in the Church or religious congregations activities, the Prime Minister explained that these are services provided to the people, to empower Timorese, raising its intellectual and moral capacity, towards the progress of Timor-Leste. "So the investment made in the initiatives of religious congregations and of the Catholic Church has a very important economic and social return. If we look closer, the leaders who were heading our liberation process were the result of the education of the religious schools, in an effort by the Catholic Church," explained the Prime Minister.

The message given by the Head of the Government to the students was to use the equipment available at the Maria Auxiliadora School for the purposes and with adequate maintenance, enabling its long lifespan so that they can be used for the education of future students who will contribute to the development of Timor-Leste.