“Be examples of unity, communion”: Catholic Archbishop in Mozambique to Pastoral Agents in Maputo Province

Maputo, 08 October, 2025 / 3:20 PM

Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Mozambique’s Catholic Archdiocese of Maputo has urged pastoral agents in the Ecclesiastical Province of Maputo to be “examples of unity and communion” as they carry out their mission in the Church.

In his October 5 homily during the conclusion of the Post-IV National Pastoral Assembly Evaluation that was held at the Mary Queen of Martyrs Shrine of the Catholic Diocese of Inhambane, Archbishop Nunes urged the local Church to remain attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and open to reviewing its path.

“You must be examples of unity and communion, and lead pastoral processes with humility, courage, and attentive listening,” the Mozambican Catholic Archbishop said.

He encouraged them to maintain a synodal spirit as a permanent practice in Church life, saying, “We are called to discern together, to listen to what God asks of us today, and to inspire hope in the people entrusted to us.”

“We cannot walk alone, nor each in our own corner. Our province must be a ferment of unity and a witness of communion,” Archbishop Nunes said.

He said, “It is necessary that the local Church remains attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and be willing to reassess its paths.”

Archbishop Nunes added in reference to the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, “The Jubilee we celebrate is a favorable time of grace, reconciliation, and renewal.”

To Priests, the 56-year-old Catholic Archbishop appealed for a humble, prayerful ministry rooted in service and attentiveness to the people. 

Archbishop Nunes emphasized that Priests must be “a prayerful and discreet presence” who lead with wisdom and discernment. 

He also called for biblical and pastoral formation, saying that “the Word of God must remain at the center of every mission.”

To Deacons, Archbishop Nunes emphasized humble and generous service, saying, “The Diaconal ministry should not be lived with vanity, but as a silent and effective presence among the people. A true servant does not need to appear; he needs to serve.”

He reminded them that their strength must come from “prayer, the Word, and concrete service to the poor and to communities.”

Addressing members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), the Archbishop said their prophetic witness should rekindle faith and hope in communities. 

“May your consecrated lives be a sign of hope where there is pain, of communion where there is division, of light where there is darkness,” he said.

Archbishop Nunes also urged lay pastoral agents to embrace their roles responsibly and to be “builders of communion” in their parishes. 

Speaking directly to young people, he described them as both “the present and the future of the Church,” insisting that they must be accompanied with love, patience, and truth.

“Young people thirst for meaning, and the Church must be ready to walk with them,” the Catholic Church leader said.

He underscored the need to support families, calling them “the foundation of Christian life.”

Family ministry, he said, “must be a priority in our Dioceses.”

“May our faith be rekindled, may the gift of God within us be renewed, and may our ecclesiastical province be a leaven of hope for Mozambique,” Archbishop Nunes said.