The Government of Timor-Leste – through the Secretary of State for Land and Property (in Portuguese SETP), Jaime Xavier Lopes – signed with the Holy See – represented by the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Joseph Marino, assisted by his Secretary in Timor-Leste, the Bishop of the Diocese of Dili and Baucau –, in the Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, in Dili on March 18^th, 2016, the public deed for the rights of surface of a plot of land.

The Government gave a plot to the Holy See, with an area of 10,020 square meters, in the village of Lírio, in the suco of Motael, in the municipality of Dili. Every year, symbolically, the Vatican should pay a rent of 120 dollars to the State, through the National Directorate for Land and Property.

The Secretary of State explained that the signing of the public deed is based on the ruling of the Minister of Justice no. 16/GM/MJ/III/2016, whose delegation of powers dates from March 11^th, 2016, through the Government Resolution no. 18/2015, of April 25^th.

Mgr. Joseph Marino, Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See for Timor-Leste and Manila, welcomed the handover of this land, where is intended to build the Nunciature of the Holy See in our country.

“The building will be constructed quickly as a representation of the image of the Pope, in a gesture of approximation to the Catholics of Timor-Leste”, stressed the Apostolic Nuncio.