Catholic Bishop Decries Neglect of Angolan Rich Province Devoid of “a decent road”

Cabinda, 08 July, 2023 / 8:13 PM

Bishop Belmiro Cuica Chissengueti of Angola’s Cabinda Diocese has lamented the lack of “a decent road” in his Episcopal See despite the Province contributing “immense wealth” to the country’s economy.

In his homily during his pastoral visit to St. Anthony Belize Parish of his Episcopal See, Bishop Chissengueti said, “It is unfair that a province that has generated immense wealth for this country continues to walk in poverty, and cannot boast of a decent road.”

“We ask the competent authorities, above all the Central Government, to build roads for us, so that we can walk with quality and also dignity,” he said during his July 2 pastoral visit.

The Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) said he found it regrettable that the people of God are “languishing in poverty”, and added, “This is always the pain that touches our soul when we see that next to the lack of roads, there is also so much poverty, the years go by, people live and pass away and poverty continues.”

“We still see degraded houses without electricity, without water, people practically resigned to poverty, as if to say that nothing else can be done, so let's wait for death,” the 54-year-old Catholic Bishop who has been at the helm of Cabinda Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination in September 2018 further lamented.

He continued, “We do need to pray that those who lead really think about the poor, because there is no possible development without those who govern to put the poor on their agenda, not to enter the painful statistics of poverty, but to enter into the dynamics of development, which must be effective for everyone so that we can all benefit from the goods of creation.”

Joao Vissesse contributed to the writing of this article