Timor-Leste is one of the most heavily Catholic nations on earth — over 97% of the population identifies as Catholic — a direct consequence of Portuguese colonial rule and, more pointedly, the Church's role as an institutional anchor during the Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999. The Vatican was among the few international bodies that maintained consistent pressure on Jakarta throughout that period.
This issue from the Banco Central de Timor-Leste marks Francis's papacy against that specific historical bond, not merely as devotional coinage.
Timor-Leste is one of the most heavily Catholic nations on earth — over 97% of the population identifies as Catholic — a direct consequence of Portuguese colonial rule and, more pointedly, the Church's role as an institutional anchor during the Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999. The Vatican was among the few international bodies that maintained consistent pressure on Jakarta throughout that period.
This issue from the Banco Central de Timor-Leste marks Francis's papacy against that specific historical bond, not merely as devotional coinage.