Criticisms continue to rage against the Timor-Leste government's plan to build a football stadium in a historically, culturally, and religiously significant environmental zone.
The opposition has grown as the government reportedly aims to start this year the proposed US$20 million stadium at Tasi Tolu, some eight kilometers west of the national capital, Dili.
The Timor-Leste Football Federation partially funds the project, which was approved by the government in June.
Tasi Tolu encompasses a vast area, spanning three saline lakes, an esplanade, and a beach. It is listed as a Wetland of National Significance and serves as a sanctuary for birds, particularly migratory birds.
Tasi Tolu Peace Park was established in 2002 to mark Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia. It is believed that the bodies of many of those assassinated during Indonesia's occupation (1975-1999) were dumped into Tasi Tolu.
Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis offered public Mass in Tasi Tolu during their visits in 1989 and 2024, respectively.
Pope Francis' mass drew about half of the Catholic-majority nation's estimated 1.4 million people. The Catholic Church, an influential institution in Timor-Leste, has yet to issue a public statement.
Canossian nun Guilhermina Marcal, 67, a top educator and rights activist, is a staunch critic of the planned stadium.
"Tasi Tolu is a historic and religious site. It is a place where our young people were killed and dumped. That is something we cannot forget. More than 30 years ago, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there. That visit opened the eyes of the world [to Timor-Leste] as journalists came from all over the world," the nun told UCA News.
During his visit to Timor-Leste last year, Pope Francis followed the footsteps of his predecessor.
Tasi Tolu continues to be a pilgrimage site not just for Timorese but also Indonesians who come to join Eucharistic celebrations, the nun said.
"How can a stadium be built in a place considered holy, where people go to pray, and then hear the noise of football matches afterwards? As soon as we have a stadium, the area will get crowded, vehicle stations will be set up, and people will engage in business," the nun added.
Tasi Tolu is home to over 20 species of water birds and fragile ecosystems, making it one of the most biologically diverse wetlands in the country.
"While many birds simply pass over Timor-Leste, for some migratory shorebirds Lake Tasi Tolu serves as an essential stopover, offering crucial feeding and resting grounds," Potenzo Lopes, a wildlife conservationist, told ABC News Australia in a recent interview.
Nilton Gusmao, president of the Timor-Leste Football Federation and nephew of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, envisions a transformative project.
"The new stadium will meet international standards and support our youth, athletes, and football development. It's also a national pride project, aimed at job creation, tourism, and uniting our people through sports," he stated in a press release in June.
Belinha Conceicao, a young woman who attended Pope Francis' mass at Tasi Tolu, opposes the stadium.
"I walked more than 10 kilometers to be there. I saw Pope Francis with my own eyes. I received his blessing. I want to remember Tasi Tolu as a sacred place, not a stadium," she said.
Domingos Araujo, a resident who was evicted from his home to make way for the 2022 papal mass, expressed disappointment.
"I agreed to leave my house because it was for a religious event, not for a stadium. I love football too, but the government can build it somewhere else," he told local media.