East Timor church, government agree on religious education in schools

Published: 2005-05-11

DILI, East Timor (CNS) -- The government of East Timor and the local Catholic Church signed an agreement recognizing religion classes as part of the regular school curriculum, ending a dispute on the predominantly Catholic island. The agreement was signed May 7 by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and Bishops Alberto da Silva of Dili and Basilio do Nascimento of Bacau in the presence of President Xanana Gusmao at his office in Dili, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. The agreement said there would be no repercussions against the Timorese who rallied against a government decision to make religion classes optional. In the joint declaration, the government and the Catholic Church "recognize and accept the importance of religious values and their contribution to the building of the nation." They also "recognize the important role of moral and religious values in the life of a person" and agree that these values must be included in the mission of education, which must meet the needs of every citizen regardless of background.

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