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Document #2111972
USDOS – US Department of State (Author)
The constitution provides for freedom of conscience and worship and freedom of religious instruction. There is no official state religion, although Catholicism is the predominant religion. A concordat between the government and the Holy See establishes a legal framework for cooperation and grants the Church certain privileges not enjoyed by other religious groups. Religious organizations may register with the government under the regulations provided for nonprofit corporate bodies.
As of year’s end, the Council of Ministers had not approved proposed revisions to the civil code, originally put forward in 2020, that would register all forms of marriage recognized by law, including those of non-Catholic religious groups. Religious minority groups continued to report instances of civil servants rejecting marriage and birth certificates issued by religious organizations other than the Roman Catholic Church. Muslim religious leaders also continued to express concerns regarding what they said were discriminatory practices in civil service hiring. In March, as part of its annual budget, the government allocated 15 million dollars for distribution among the country’s three Catholic dioceses, in line with its concordat with the Holy See. The government also provided a $200,000 grant to the Muslim community in October to support their religious activities and education. Three Protestant communities received grants to build churches in Oecusse, Ermera, and Baucau. Non-Catholic groups continued to report tensions regarding unequal allocation of government funds, since non-Catholic religious groups needed to apply for funding from a separate government source instead of receiving a dedicated budget allocation.
Members of minority religious groups, including from the Muslim and Protestant communities, generally reported religious tolerance in the country. Some stated, however, that there was continuing strong societal pressure for individuals to remain in the Catholic Church, particularly from family or community members.
U.S. embassy officials engaged regularly with government officials on religious freedom issues, including discrimination in civil service hiring, the rejection by public officials of documentation of religious minority groups, and budget allocations to minority religious groups. Embassy officials met with representatives of the Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, and Protestant communities.
The U.S. government estimates the total population at 1.5 million (midyear 2023). According to the 2022 census, 97.5 percent of the population is Catholic, approximately 2 percent Protestant, and less than 1 percent Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. Protestant denominations include the Assemblies of God, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Christian Vision Church. There are also several small nondenominational Protestant congregations. Many citizens retain animistic beliefs and practices along with their monotheistic religious affiliation.
The constitution provides for freedom of conscience, religion, and worship, and specifies, “Religious denominations are separated from the State.” It also prohibits discrimination based on religious beliefs and provides for both the right to conscientious objection and the freedom to teach any religion. The constitution protects freedom of religion in the event of a declaration of a state of siege or state of emergency.
There is no official state religion; however, the constitution commends the Catholic Church for its participation in the country’s liberation efforts. A concordat between the government and the Holy See establishes a legal framework for cooperation, grants the Catholic Church autonomy in establishing and running schools, provides tax benefits, safeguards the Church’s historical and cultural heritage, and acknowledges the right of its foreign missionaries to serve in the country.
The law criminalizes religious or racial discrimination. Members of groups organized to incite or encourage discrimination based on race or religion face imprisonment of between four and 12 years. Those who through written or other social communication means spread ideas with the intent to incite racial or religious discrimination or encourage or provoke violence against a person or group of people based on race, color, ethnic origin, or religion may be punished with imprisonment from two to eight years.
Religious organizations that conduct religious services but do not engage in other activities do not need to register with the government and may obtain tax-exempt status from the Ministry of Finance. Religious organizations seeking to open private schools or provide other community services must submit articles of association and other relevant documentation to register as nonprofit corporate bodies through the Ministry of Justice’s National Directorate for Registry and Notary Services (DNRN). The law requires a separate registration with the Ministry of Interior for associations with primarily foreign members, including religious organizations, which must submit their articles of incorporation, proof they have the means to carry out their activities, and the name of a designated representative. To receive a tax identification number, organizations must register first with the Ministry of Justice and then bring that registration to the Service for Registration and Verification of Businesses, the business registration agency. The DNRN then issues a certificate and legally charters the organization.
The Ministry of Education classifies religious study as an elective subject in public schools. Most schools in the country are public, although the Catholic Church also operates private schools. Non-Catholic students may attend Catholic schools. Religious classes are compulsory in private Catholic schools.
A chaplain who is a citizen may serve in the armed forces. The law states, “Foreigners cannot provide religious assistance to the defense and security forces, except in cases of absolute need and urgency.”
Foreign citizen missionaries and nonmissionary religious officials are exempt from paying normal residence and visa fees. Visa regulations are the same for all foreign religious workers, regardless of religious affiliation.
The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
As of year’s end, the Council of Ministers had not approved proposed revisions to the civil code, originally put forward in 2020, that would register all forms of marriage recognized by law, including those of non-Catholic religious groups. Muslim, Protestant, and Hindu religious minority leaders again reported that notaries public rejected marriage and birth certificates from religious organizations other than the Catholic Church when submitted as supporting documentation required by individuals registering for schools and for other official acts. The leaders stated this occurred on an ad hoc rather than systematic basis, and authorities resolved the incidents by addressing them with the notarial office director. Members of non-Catholic religious groups had the option to marry in a civil ceremony witnessed by a notary public, according to a Ministry of Justice official. Registrations of births and marriages with the government continued to be available, but civil registration rates remained relatively low in comparison to registration for religious certificates. Protestant and Muslim leaders continued to encourage the Offices of the President and the Prime Minister as well as the parliament to recognize non-Catholic certificates.
Muslim religious leaders continued to express concerns regarding what they said were discriminatory practices in civil service hiring. They said some Muslim job candidates whose names might be identified with their religion experienced discrimination during the screening process.
As part of its annual budget, in March, the Office of the Prime Minister allocated 15 million dollars to the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Timor-Leste for distribution among the country’s three Catholic dioceses. The terms of the concordat with the Holy See governed the allocations. Other religious groups could apply for part of a separate two-million-dollar government fund set aside for non-Catholic religious groups during the year. The Civil Society Support Office also provided a $200,000 grant to the Muslim community in October to support their religious activities and education. One Protestant community received $40,000 in grant money to build a church in Oecusse, while another received $32,000 to construct a church in Ermera, and a third received $10,000 towards the construction of a church in Baucau. Non-Catholic groups continued to report tensions regarding unequal allocation of government funds.
The government did not fund the multireligious Asosiasaun Turizmu Relijiozu Timor-Leste (ATR-TL) – or Faith-based Tourism Association – during the year, unlike in prior years.
During the year, no non-Catholic chaplains served in the armed forces; however, clergy of other religions provided services on an invitational basis.
National holidays included several Catholic and Islamic holidays. On April 22, President Jose Ramos-Horta congratulated the Muslim community on Eid al-Fitr and thanked the Muslim and other religious communities for their tradition of living in harmony. In August, President Ramos-Horta also gave remarks to the Hindu community on the Galungan holiday, stating, “Girinatha Temple has become part of the history and cultural diversity in Timor-Leste. I hope the Hindu community in Timor-Leste will continue to uphold their culture and religion’s doctrine in contributing to development and peace, especially on religious tolerance in this country.”
The government continued to consult religious leaders as part of broader engagement with civil society.
Members of minority religious groups, including from the Muslim and Protestant communities, generally reported there was religious tolerance in the country, although some said strong societal pressure for individuals to remain in the Catholic Church persisted. Some minority religious group leaders stated that some family and community members criticized their members because of their religious beliefs.
Leaders of the Catholic Church and Protestant and Muslim communities reported continued positive cooperation and relations among religious groups. The interfaith group ATR-TL continued working to identify religious tourism sites and to raise awareness of these sites’ religious and historical significance.
During the year, embassy officials met with government officials, including from the Office of the Prime Minister, addressing concerns such as discrimination in civil service hiring, recognition of religious minority documentation, and budget allocations to different minority groups. Embassy officials met with religious leaders, including the Archbishop of Dili and the Imam of Dili. In October, the embassy held a roundtable with representatives from the Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, and Protestant communities. The embassy also used its social media platforms to highlight engagements with the country’s Muslim and Protestant communities.
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