Standing beneath Dili’s imaginatively named ‘Jesus statue’ you can see all the way along the coast and miles out to sea. At over 30ft, the imposing figure of Christ is Timor’s answer to Rio’s Redeemer and tells its own tales of Timor’s unsettled past.
This Jesus is a relic of Indonesian rule, and has all the scars to prove it. Arms outstretched, the imposing figure is in serious need of some TLC. He stands atop a spherical dome which doubles as a globe – though a number of the continents which once made up the grandiose world map have noticeably rusted and dropped off. The flood lights at each corner of the statue, which would have illuminated Jesus for miles around, have been ripped from their plinths. There is an air of sadness. It seems few visitors make the 15 minute trip to see Jesus anymore.
Yet, visit Dili Cathedral on a Sunday morning and it’s a very different story. From 7.30am crowds flock to mass and by the time we arrive at a quarter to eight we can barely get in the door. The pews are packed. Those who arrive late have to perch on the very edges of their seats. The stairwells are full; some people poke their heads around the main doorway; others sit on the floor. The sea of heads seems to go on and on into the distance.
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