Virgílio do Carmo da Silva

After attending Salesian primary and secondary schools in Fatumaca, he joined the Congregationof the Salesians of Don Bosco on 31 May 1990. He studied philosophy and theology in Manila, Philippines. On March 19, 1997, he made his perpetual profession and was ordained on 18 December 1998.

From 1999 to 2004 and again 2007 to 2014 da Silva was novice master for the Salesians. From 2005 he studied in Rome for a Licentiate in Spirituality at the Pontifical Salesian University. From 2009 to 2014 he was director of the Technical School of Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Fatumaca. In 2015 he became Provincial Superior of the Salesians in East Timor and Indonesia.[2]

On January 30, 2016, he was named by Pope Francis as Bishop of Dili. He replaced Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva who died of brain cancer on 2 April 2015.[3]

Launching in 2018, a pilgrimage to key religious sites in East Timor, da Silva said “it is time for the church and government to unite and develop forms of religious tourism that are rich not only on the spiritual side but also in social, economic, cultural and historical aspects.” The country has started to develop religious tourism to give the fragile economy a much-needed boost.[4]

In May 2018, Police in Dili were placed on high alert after learning of potential attacks by Islamic extremists on churches as well as Bishop da Silva, after the recent elections in the country.[5]

In September 2019, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Virgilio do Carmo da Silva as Timor-Leste’s first archbishop.[6]