, fullname = , image = DiliSé.jpg , imagesize = 250px , caption = , pushpin map = East Timor , pushpin label position = , coordinates = , location = Díli , country =

East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...

, denomination =

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, website = , former name = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = , dedicated date = , consecrated date = 2 November 1988 , relics = , status = Cathedral , functional status = Active , heritage designation = , designated date = , architect = , style = , years built = , groundbreaking = , completed date = , construction cost = , length = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , tower quantity = , tower height = , parish = , diocese =

Dili Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...

, province = Dili , bishop = Rt. Rev. Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, SDB, DD , priest = , asstpriest = The Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: ''Catedral Metropolitana da Imaculada Conceição'') in Dili is the main church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dili,

History

Plans to build the cathedral began in 1984 with the

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

n Government providing funding totalling about US$235,000. The cathedral, situated on a 10,000-square-meter plot, measures 1,800 square meters and can hold 2,000 people. Indonesian President

Soeharto Suharto (; ; 8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian army officer and politician, who served as the second and the longest serving president of Indonesia. Widely regarded as a military dictator by international observers, Suharto ...

on 2 November 1988 officially inaugurated Dili's new Catholic cathedral, reportedly the largest in Southeast Asia. The ceremony was attended by Dili's apostolic administrator, Bishop

Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo SDB, commonly known as Carlos Belo or Ximenes Belo (born 3 February 1948) is an East Timorese prelate of the Catholic Church. He became a bishop in 1988 and served as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of ...

. In October 1989 it was blessed by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. The cathedral played an important part in the country’s independence struggle, with leaders like the Noble Laureate Bishop Belo advising people to go into the country’s election with the spirit of humility of Jesus Christ. The Church of San Antonio de Motael was the pro-cathedral of Dili before the cathedral was constructed.

Current events

On 1 March 2007 the country's new Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, celebrated Mass at the Cathedral and then visited camps for displaced people in and around the capital, and the

Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima The Minor Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima is a Roman Catholic seminary, located in Dare, Dili, East Timor. Established in 1936, it is the oldest Roman Catholic seminary in East Timor. The seminary was initially established in Manatutu district, so ...

. On 27 April 2002 around 2,000 people gathered at the Cathedral for the arrival from Portugal of a statue of

Our Lady of Fatima Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulat ...

, which was to go on tour for three weeks as part of the celebrations ahead of the country’s independence. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima is the Patroness of East Timor. Among those welcoming the statue were Bishop

, Bishop

Basilio do Nascimento Basilio is a name of Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese origin. It is a cognate of the English name Basil. The name may refer to: Given name * Basilio Augustín (1840–1910), Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines briefly in 1898 *Basilio Badil ...

and other religious representatives. The two Catholic bishops of East Timor and the papal nuncio to the country jointly urged people to end a prolonged spate of violence and pray for national reconciliation and peace, after Mass on 4 March 2007 at Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Father Jose Maia was the parish priest of Immaculate Conception Cathedral in 2009.UCANews 29 July 2009
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Gallery

Altar der Kathedrale von Dili.jpg, Altar 2017-03-30 Kathedrale von Dili 3.jpg, Church mass Cathedral Dili window.jpg, Church window

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Dili Roman Catholic cathedrals in East Timor Catholic Church in East Timor Roman Catholic churches completed in 1988 Buildings and structures in Dili 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings