Caritas Timor-Leste opens its national office in Dili

On March 1, 2025, Caritas Timor-Leste, the social development wing of the Catholic Church in the country, was opened.

Caritas Asia and the executive secretary at the Legal Affairs Commission of Caritas Internationalis were in Dili, Timor-Leste. They witnessed an important gathering for the unique, historic launch of the national Caritas Timor-Leste.

It was a renewal and reaffirmation of dedicated humanitarian services as well as integral human development for the welfare and peace of the people of Timor-Leste.

In its journey to becoming a national organization, Caritas Timor-Leste has received many blessings and gifts from God, as well as support and contributions in many different means and forms in their long way towards the national launching.

Caritas Asia Regional Secretariat, through the support of global partners, will continue to provide the necessary support for capacity strengthening for localization, aiming at local leadership development and local resource mobilization.

Caritas Internationalis is the Catholic Church's aid organization. Caritas Internationalis is the second largest aid organization in the world. All national Caritas offices are members of Caritas Internationalis.

After the Philippines, Timor-Leste is the second-largest Catholic-majority country in Asia.

Ninety-seven percent of the 1.4 million Timorese people, spread across the dioceses of Maliana, Baucau, and Dili, identify as Catholics.

Despite the country's abundance of natural resources, such as gas and oil, about 42% of people live in poverty and lack access to education and jobs, according to the United Nations Development Program.