Catholic Archbishops in Mozambique Urge Newly Ordained Priests to Stive for Holiness as “pilgrims of hope”

Beira, 08 July, 2025 / 5:35 PM

Newly ordained Catholic Priests in two Mozambican Metropolitan Sees have been urged to strive for holiness in their Priestly ministries as “pilgrims of hope”.  

In his homily during the Priestly ordination of Deacon Manuel M. Chingole, Deacon Lucas P. Estêvão, and Deacon Guidione F. Macamo, Archbishop Claudio Dalla Zuanna of the Catholic Archdiocese of Beira cautioned against distractions.

“Be pilgrims of hope in your respective missions. Hope is the driving force that sustains the journey of faith and mission, especially in difficult times,” Archbishop Zuanna said referring to the theme of the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Hope, he said, “is not an empty or delusional expectation, but the firm certainty of life in God, which gives meaning and strength to serve with faithfulness and joy, even when the fruits of the mission are not immediately visible.”

The Argentine member of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCI) further said, “The Priesthood is not an activity focused on building or managing material things, but a call to proclaim the Gospel, serve God’s grace, and console the people.”

“Success in the mission does not depend on resources,” he said, and continued, “The Church must not become paralysed by the pursuit of means, while forgetting the heart of the mission: proclaiming the Word and loving service.”

Archbishop Zuanna also warned against distractions, recalling that “Jesus instructed his disciples not to get caught up in lengthy greetings or distractions, but to remain focused.”

“The mission is to serve the Church and brothers, to help follow Jesus, to console and nourish through the Sacraments, and to lead others along the path of the Lord,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of Beira Archdiocese since his Episcopal Consecration in October 2012 cautioned against “excessive” administrative procedures, saying, “the Priest’s work must not be consumed by bureaucracy or by excessive concern for material means—those come later. What must remain central is the proclamation of the Gospel and living the grace.”

He encouraged three Priests-elect to commit fully to their Priestly vocation, serving with humility and faith. Archbishop Zuanna said, “It is through this self-giving that true hope becomes possible—the fullness of life in God that Jesus promised.”

Meanwhile, in the same Southern African nation, Archbishop Inácio Saúre of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nampula, has called upon Deacon Leandro José Langa to embrace the path of holiness in his Priestly ministry.

In his homily during the Priestly Ordination of the Mozambican member of the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries (CMM), Archbishop Saúre said, “Your holiness will be the greatest gift to this Church. Meditate on the law of the Lord. Believe what you read. Teach what you believe. Live what you teach.”

“A Priest is called to be a man of peace, and peace begins in the heart. Without inner peace, there is no fruitful ministry. A restless or divided Priest becomes a stumbling block, not a sign of Christ,” he said during the July 6 Ordination event at Our Lady of Fatima Parish of Nampula Archdiocese.

In his homily, the Mozambican member of the Institute of the Consolata Missionaries (IMC) called upon the Priest-elect to “stand firm” in his Priestly ministry, and added, “With your holiness, help your brothers; with your example, transform the environment where you live.”

“Priestly holiness is not only the responsibility of the one ordained. It belongs to the whole community that welcomes and walks with him,” Archbishop Saúre said.

The Local Ordinary of Nampula since his installation in June 2017 emphasized the need for the people of God to support the Priest he was about to ordain.

“Pray for him. Support him. Do not leave him alone. He is your son, your brother, your pastor. The Church is a family, and no one becomes holy in isolation,” the Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in May 2011 as Bishop of Mozambique’s Tete Catholic Diocese said.