Dili, September 9, 2026 — Her Excellency the Minister of Education, Dr. Dulce de Jesus Soares, accompanied His Excellency the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, along with members of the IX Constitutional Government, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Dili, D. Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, SDV, the Bishop of the Diocese of Maliana, D. Norberto do Amaral, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Baucau, D. Leandro Maria Alves, at the inauguration ceremony of the Garden and Uma-ADAT of Tasitolu.
The rehabilitation and construction of the Pope John Paul II Monument Garden, as well as the conservation of the Uma-Adat of Tasitolu, aim to preserve and enhance this space, considered a place of great historical and sacred importance for the people of Timor-Leste. This relevance is due, in particular, to the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to this site in 1989, which represented a moment of great hope for peace and freedom in Timor-Leste.
The inauguration ceremony of the Garden and the rehabilitation of the area around the Uma-Adat of Tasitolu is part of a project that is part of the joint plan developed by the Government and the Catholic Church of Timor-Leste.
