Planned National Biblical Week in Angola “a moment of intense spirituality, reflection”: Official

Luanda, 12 July, 2025 / 11:40 PM

The National Biblical Week in Angola is to be a time of spiritual engagement through meaningful reflections, an official involved in organizing the July 15-20 has said.

In a Friday, July 11 interview with ACI Africa, Sr. Elisabete Corazza, a member of the National Commission for Biblical Pastoral Ministry of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST), spoke about the event that is to take place in Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Lwena under the theme, “Jubilee as a Path to Reconciliation and Justice”.

Sr. Corazza said that this year’s National Biblical Week holds particular significance as it coincides with two historical milestones: the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year and Angola’s Golden Jubilee of independence.

“The National Biblical Week will be a moment of intense spirituality, sharing, and deepening the role of the Word of God within the Angolan and Jubilee context,” Sr. Corazza said.

She emphasized that the event aims to inspire reflection on forgiveness, social justice, and peacebuilding in the Southern African nation and across the world.

“This meeting with delegates from all Dioceses is always enriching, but this year, given the (Catholic Church’s) Jubilee and national celebrations (of independence), it takes on even deeper meaning,” the Brazilian-born member of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP/Pauline Sisters/Daughters of St. Paul) said.

Sr. Corazza noted that the weeklong event is to be filled with “six days of intense biblical reflection, prayer, study, and sharing,” aiming to explore the relationship between the (2025 Catholic Church’s) Jubilee and today’s challenges of reconciliation and social justice.

“It’s a moment of formation, but also prayer and mutual listening. We’ll have lectures from Bishops, biblical scholars, legal experts, and missionaries,” she told ACI Africa.

Sr. Corazza continued, “All topics will relate to the Jubilee context, reconciliation, and justice as responses to the pastoral and social challenges of our time.”

Beyond conferences and study sessions, Sr. Corazza said the week is to include prayer moments, Diocesan experience-sharing, group work, Eucharistic celebrations, and cultural activities.

She noted that a highlight of the event is to be the sharing of reports from the 18 participating Dioceses, where each delegate is to present the biblical animation journey in their respective Episcopal Sees.

“We will listen to what each Diocese experienced over the past year, how biblical animation was strengthened, and what difficulties were faced. This sharing allows us to learn from each other and build stronger, more Gospel-rooted paths,” Sr. Corazza said.

The week is to conclude on July 20 with a Jubilee Celebration of the Word, followed by the presentation of a summary document outlining conclusions and proposals to strengthen biblical ministry in communities, she said.

“This document will be shared with all Dioceses and Parishes as a pastoral resource for the second half of 2025,” Sr. Corazza said.

Hosting the event in Lwena Dioceses located in Angola’s Eastern region also holds strong pastoral and symbolic meaning, she said, and explained, “We chose Lwena as a sign of decentralization and inclusion. We want to show that every part of the country matters, and that God’s Word must reach every corner, even the most remote.”

“Being in the Cast is challenging but also a grace. Bringing the Word here symbolizes that justice and righteousness must flow for all, without distinction,” Sr. Corazza told ACI Africa on July 11.

Throughout the week, participants are to visit local communities in the Diocese of Lwena, engaging with local pastoral agents and community leaders.

These visits, she said, “aim to foster immersion and listening, reinforcing the synodal and missionary spirit guiding CEAST’s biblical ministry.”

For Sr. Corazza, “This edition of the National Biblical Week represents an opportunity for grace, transformation, and commitment to the Word of God.”

“Jubilee is not just a liturgical season — it’s a call to action. A time to review our paths, seek forgiveness, restore relationships, and proclaim hope. Our mission is to be true pilgrims of hope, bringing justice and love where pain and exclusion still exist,” the Pauline Sister told ACI Africa on July 11.