Basílio do Nascimento

{{Short description|Roman Catholic bishop of Baucau, East Timor (1950–2021)}}

{{EngvarB|date=October 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Bishop

| honorific-prefix = The Most Reverend

| name = Basílio do Nascimento

| title = Bishop of Baucau

| image = Basilio do Nascimento.jpg

| alt = Nascimento (left) in 2015

| caption = Nascimento (left) in 2015

| church = Roman Catholic Church

| province = {{ubl|Díli|{{small|(from 11 September 2019)}}}}

| diocese = Baucau

| appointed = {{start date|2004|3|6|df=y}}

| ended = {{end date|2021|10|30|df=y}}

| predecessor = Office established

| successor = Leandro Maria Alves

| other_post = {{ubl|President, {{ill|Episcopal Conference of Timor-Leste|de|Timoresische Bischofskonferenz}}|{{small|(2012–2019)}}}}

| ordination = 25 June 1977

| ordained_by = David de Sousa

| consecration = 6 January 1997

| consecrated_by = Pope John Paul II

| cardinal =

| created_cardinal_by =

| rank =

| birth_name = Basílio do Nascimento

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1950|6|14}}

| birth_place = {{ubl|Suai, Portuguese Timor|{{small|(now East Timor)}}}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|10|30|1950|6|14|df=y}}

| death_place = Dili, East Timor

| nationality = East Timorese

| religion = Roman Catholic

| previous_post = {{unbulleted list|Titular Bishop of Septimunicia|{{small|(1996–2004)}}|Apostolic Administrator of Baucau|{{small|(1996–2004)}}|Apostolic Administrator of Dili|{{small|(2002–04; 2015–16)}}}}

| motto = {{ubl|Et vocem Spiritu Sancto|("The voice of the Holy Spirit")}}

| alma_mater = Institut Catholique de Paris

}}

Basílio do Nascimento Martins (14 June 1950 – 30 October 2021) was the East Timorese Roman Catholic Bishop of Baucau.{{cite news |title=Timor-Leste: Bispo de Baucau preocupado com "praga" de seitas religiosas no país |newspaper=Lusa Agencia do noticias |date=1 February 2010 |url=https://noticias.sapo.pt/lusa/artigo/10619005.html |access-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205320/http://noticias.sapo.pt/lusa/artigo/10619005.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{in lang|pt}}

He was born in Suai, then Portuguese Timor. He later moved to Portugal, where he was ordained as a priest in Évora, in 1977. He worked for 20 years in Portugal and France before returning home in 1994, which was at the time under Indonesian occupation.Christalis, Irena. East Timor: A nation’s bitter dawn. Zed Books, London, 2009

He became apostolic administrator of the new Diocese of Baucau on 30 November 1996 and titular bishop on 6 January 1997. When Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo retired, Nascimento became apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Dili, until the new Bishop of Dili, Alberto Ricardo da Silva, was installed on 6 March 2004. Nascimento then became the Bishop of Baucau.

In October 1999, the President of the National Council of Timorese Resistance Xanana Gusmão thanked Bishop Nascimento for the support of the Church in the struggle for independence.Gusmão, K. S. A woman of independence. Pan 2003. p. 277.

Concerned that the names of the thousands of lives lost during Indonesia's occupation of the country will be forgotten in the name of reconciliation with Indonesia, on 21 January 2006 he said that reconciliation with Jakarta without justice is meaningless.{{cite web|url=http://etan.org/et2006/january/14/21bishop.htm|title=Reconciliation with Jakarta without justice is meaningless, says bishop of Baucau|publisher=|accessdate=22 March 2017}}

From the establishment of the {{ill|Episcopal Conference of Timor-Leste|de|Timoresische Bischofskonferenz}} (CET) in April 2012 until 2019, Nascimento served as its inaugural President.{{cite web |author1=RVA News |title=Timor-Leste: Bishop Basílio do Nascimento of Baucau dies at the age of 71 |url=https://www.rvasia.org/church-asia/timor-leste-bishop-basilio-do-nascimento-baucau-dies-age-71 |website=Radio Veritas Asia |access-date=2023-06-13 |language=en |date=2021-11-03}}{{cite web |title=Conferência Episcopal Timorense |trans-title=Conference of Bishops |url=http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/conference/114.htm |website=GCatholic |access-date=2023-06-13}}

On 31 March 2018, Nascimento collapsed during Mass at St. Anthony's Cathedral in Baucau and was rushed to Dili National Hospital. He recovered and was discharged on 4 April 2018. He was the head of the East Timorese Bishops' conference.[https://www.ucanews.com/news/mysterious-easter-mass-collapse-of-timor-leste-bishop/82007 UCANews April 6, 2018]

Bishop do Nascimento died from a heart attack on 30 October 2021, in the Guido Valadares National Hospital in Dili.[https://visao.sapo.pt/atualidade/mundo/2021-10-30-morreu-basilio-do-nascimento-bispo-da-segunda-maior-cidade-de-timor-leste/ Morreu Basílio do Nascimento, bispo da segunda maior cidade de Timor-Leste] {{in lang|pt}} The President of East Timor Francisco Guterres awarded Nascimento with the country's highest honour, the Order of Timor-Leste.Catholic Weekly, Australia, 14 November 2021