Timor-Leste is a nation born through the flames of conflict, sacrifice and adversity.
Yet, in the words of Captain Rui Filomeno Gomes, Chaplain of the Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL), even in the darkest days of the decades-long struggle for independence, one thing that always burned brightly was the people's steadfast Catholic faith.
"Almost all of the members of the F-FDTL are believers. Since childhood, they have learned that with God, anything could be done, that any good and noble objective could be reached," Chaplain Gomes said.
He supported the fight for freedom in the early 1990s when he was a young parish priest in Baucau, Timor-Leste's second largest city.
"The people would take refuge in our churches, our homes. When I was a parish priest, the Falintil commanders would come and ask for help and I would give everything I could," Chaplain Gomes said.
After the Vatican City, Timor-Leste has the highest percentage of Catholics in the world, with more than 97 per cent of the population identifying with the faith.
More than 600,000 Timorese people from across the nation made the pilgrimage to the Tasi Tolu site west of the capital Dili last year to celebrate mass with Pope Francis.
"It was the Catholic Church here that has always stood behind the people. Most of the priests stood behind the people, they would speak out against the violations," Chaplain Gomes said.
'Our countries are united in a shared faith and we have been working together.'
The Timorese faithful credit Pope St John Paul II for shining a light on the plight of the Timorese people during his Papal visit in 1989, celebrating mass at Tasi Tolui. A shrine memorialises the site.
"His visit practically took East Timor to global attention. It revealed to the world that East Timor wanted to be liberated," Chaplain Gomes said.
"We have always relied on God. Even when we had no instruments, no means, we have believed whatever we do; if it is good, God will lead the way, especially when it is for the people."
Australian Army Chaplain Cesar Lopez was a guest of Chaplain Gomes as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour Timor-Leste and the Defence Cooperation Program. The pair covered a lot of ground in a short time, visiting local parishes, military bases and scared local sites.
"People have been so amazing and welcoming; our countries are united in a shared faith and we have been working together," Chaplain Lopez said.
"Faith is a very important component of the Timorese culture and it's strong across their defence force, so it has been extremely beneficial to learn from that strong bond they have between faith and the defence force, and the leadership it provides."
The culmination of Chaplain Lopez's tour was to lead the Australian contingent in Dili to the peak of Cape Fatucama to visit Cristo Rei, the statue of Jesus that towers over the capital.
Indo-Pacific Endeavour is Australia's flagship regional engagement activity supporting the Australian Government's focus on deepening diplomatic and defence partnerships across South-East Asia and the north-east Indian Ocean.
