Editing West Timor (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in West Timor (2023)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://e-database.kemendagri.go.id/dataset/1203/tabel-data?page=23| title=Religion in Indonesia }}</ref>
|label2 = [[Roman Catholic]]
|value2 = 40.66
|color2 = Purple
|label1 = [[Protestantism]]
|value1 = 54.13
|color1 = Blue
|label3 = [[Islam]]
|value3 = 5.03
|color3 = DarkGreen
|label4 = [[Hinduism]]
|value4 = 0.16
|color4 = DarkOrange
|label5 = [[Buddhism]]
|value5 = 0.01
|color5 = Yellow
|label6 = Others
|value6 = 0.01
|color6 = Red
}}

West Timor is one of the few areas in Indonesia that is mainly inhabited by [[Christianity in Indonesia|Christians]] today. Similar to Timor-Leste, [[Christianity]] is the religion of the overwhelming majority (94.8%) of the people of West Timor, 54.1% being Protestant and 40.7% being Catholic. Islam is followed by 5%. The remaining 0.2% includes Hindus and Buddhists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ntt.bps.go.id/backend1812/pdf_publikasi/Provinsi-Nusa-Tenggara-Timur-Dalam-Angka-2017.pdf|title=Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur Dalam Angka 2017|website=BPS Nusa Tenggara Timur|access-date=1 October 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918080930/https://ntt.bps.go.id/backend1812/pdf_publikasi/Provinsi-Nusa-Tenggara-Timur-Dalam-Angka-2017.pdf |archive-date=18 September 2017}}</ref>

Originally, the Timorese were [[Animism|animists]]. The influence of Islam, which spread throughout South East Asia from the 15th century, did not reach Timor. The first [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]] settled in 1556 and founded the [[Lifau]] (Lifao). The Dominican [[António Taveira]] promoted the missionisation of Timor. In the late 16th century, he focussed on the kingdoms on the north and south coasts. By 1640, a handful of priests had already founded 10 missions and 22 churches on Timor. However, a minority remained who were converted to Christianity. Ancestor worship and belief in spirits remained widespread.
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Offerplaats voor het huis van de raja van Nikiniki TMnr 60044430.jpg|thumb|Animistic sacrificial place in [[Niki-Niki]], 1928/29]]
It was not until the middle of the 19th century that a large-scale Catholic missionary programme began among the locals, although it was not until the early 20th century that it began to bear fruit with the conversion of 16 local princes. Protestant missionaries later followed to West Timor. Today, around 95% of the inhabitants of West Timor are Christians (54% Protestant, and 41% Catholic), 5% are Muslims. The number of practising Christians is very high, at around 80 to 85 per cent. However, a 2001 survey revealed that more than 70 per cent of the population is still rooted in both ancestor worship and belief in spirits.

In the east of West Timor (Belu, Malaka and North Central Timor Regency), the proportion of Catholics is significantly higher. For example, 96.5% of the almost 500,000 people in the diocese of Atambua are Catholic. From the Catholic missionary [[Apostolic Vicariate of Dutch Timor]] stem the Metropolitan [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kupang|Archdiocese of Kupang]] and its suffragan [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Atambua|Diocese of Atambua]]. Oe-Cusse Ambeno belongs to the East Timorese archdiocese of Dili.