New East Timorese bishop calls for church, government cooperation

Published: 2004-05-20

DILI, East Timor (CNS) -- The newly ordained bishop of Dili said the church wants to work with East Timor's government to ensure that the people's needs are met. Bishop Alberto da Silva, 61, said the church and state need to cooperate in developing East Timor, creating jobs and serving the country's youth, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. "We want the church to work in its field and the state in its field too. But the people that the church and the state serve are the same. So cooperation is needed to have better development and fulfillment of the people's demands," he said. Bishop da Silva was appointed in March and ordained May 2, a few days ahead of East Timor's second anniversary of independence. He replaced Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Bacau, who served as interim head of the Dili Diocese after Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo retired in November 2002 for health reasons.

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