Around Dili

The statue of Pope John Paul II

Not far from the airport, atop a small hill overlooking the Western area that leads to Dili, there’s a statue of Pope John Paul II that commemorates the time the pope visited Timor-Leste in 1989. To visit the statue is relatively straightforward. You can make your own way there by car, motorbike or bicycle. Just head to the airport and keep going until you get to the hill. Alternatively you can catch mikrolet 9 or 10 to take you some of the way.

The statue of Pope John Paul II in Dili

There’s nothing more to see in the area other than the statue other than the three large lakes beneath it and the beach. The view from the hill is grand and worth making the trip for. On the road leading to the hill there are stalls selling drinks and snacks. If you’re walking you will need something to drink.

The steps up to the statue are all part of the challenge and are reminiscent of the steps leading up to Cristo Rei.

There’s also a small house that looks decidedly out of place in the middle of baron land. The house was built specifically for the pope to stay in when he was in Timor-Leste.

The large bronze statue was inaugurated on June 15, 2008. The pope was the only world leader to visit Timor-Leste during the fight for independence. Reports suggest that the visit strengthened ties between the resistance and the church. The balance in the power struggle between Indonesia and the resistance in Timor-Leste shifted slightly with the pope’s decision to visit Timor-Leste.

It was a real boon for the people of Timor that the pope visited the tiny state. Timor-Leste was thus singled out as a separate entity to Indonesia, some said. Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo maintains that John Paul II kept a close relationship with Timor-Leste after his visit and so he is remembered with this statue.