ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Government and Catholic Church reach agreement for religious instruction in schools

Dili (Fides Service) - After more than two weeks of peaceful protests involving thousands of people the government of East Timor and the local Catholic Church have reached an agreement on the question of religious instruction in state schools. The president of East Timor Xanana Gusmao leader of independence from Indonesia and local Church leaders signed an agreement which declared religious instruction once again part of regular school curriculum and regular school lessons.
The agreement was welcomed with satisfaction by the local Church in this Catholic majority nation and by more than 10,000 people who had demonstrated in favour of religious education over the past two weeks. According to the agreement religious instruction will remain part of normal lessons but parents may decide whether or not their child attends. Whereas in February the government had voted to make religious instruction an optional course. To reach an agreement representatives of the local Catholic Church had suggested that religious instruction should remain but with the inclusion of instruction also on Protestant Christianity and Islam, to meet the needs of religious minorities in East Timor.
Tension rose in the two weeks of demonstration with police deployed on main streets and around public buildings. Observers feared the protest might turn into open violence as many demonstrators called on Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, a Muslim, to resign.
With a population of 880,000 which is today 96% Catholic thanks to Portuguese settlers in the past, East Timor, later occupied by Indonesia, obtained independence in 1999 after a fierce battle with pro-Indonesian militia. Poverty is widespread and the country is still rebuilding social infrastructures. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/05/2005 Righe: 27 Parole: 284)