"The Episcopal Consecration ministered by the Principal Consecrator Bishop, Nuncio Apostolic and by the remainder of the Asian Consecrator Bishops, is not conferred by the world, but by the grace of God Our Lord."

"The pallium is a symbol of union with the Holy See. Let's thank God for the Vatican's trust in the Timor-Leste Church. It's a symbol of unity and an invitation to remain faithful to Christ who died on the cross."

"We've gone from a traditional system to a modern system that the population needs to learn about, and I believe that the role of the Church today is to educate for democracy."

"The world censures those who take up arms to defend their causes and calls on them to use non-violent means in voicing their grievances. But when a people chooses the non-violent path, it is all too often the case that hardly anyone pays attention. It is tragic that people have to suffer and die and the television cameras have to deliver the pictures to people’s homes everyday before the world at large admits there is a problem."