At Priestly Golden Jubilee, Portuguese-born Catholic Bishop Hails His Ministry in Angola as Life’s “greatest grace”

Viana, 28 May, 2025 / 9:42 PM

Bishop Joaquim Ferreira Lopes has recognized with appreciation decades of his Priestly ministry among the people of God in Angola and described the experience as his life’s “greatest grace and honour”.

In his homily during his Priestly Golden Jubilee, the Bishop emeritus of Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Viana reflected on the years he spent as a missionary in Angola.

“Serving Angola has been the greatest grace and honour of my life. To have been a Priest and a Bishop for you, in one single country, is something I will never forget,” Bishop Lopes said during the May 26 event.

He added, “I came here with a poor heart, as I always sought to do. My life has been a constant act of thanksgiving, but also a request for forgiveness.”

Reflecting on his long journey, Bishop Lopes, who was ordained a Priest on 25 May 1975, recalled both the joy and the trials he endured.

“I was a Priest for 30 years before being called to the Episcopate. But I never felt worthy of such grace. I lived through difficult times—during colonial rule, in the first years after independence, and throughout the years that followed, up to 2019. The Lord allowed me to witness the liberation of this country from colonial rule and the beginning of a new chapter in its history after 500 years,” the Portuguese-born member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.) recounted.

He continued, “If I ever disappointed anyone or failed to act well, I ask for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart – not only from the Lord, but also from each one of you.”

Reflecting on the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, Bishop Lopes said, “It is a year of liberation, a favourable year of the Lord’s grace. And it is in this spirit that Pope Leo XIV continues the path laid out by Pope Francis, calling all Bishops and Dioceses to participate—including our beloved Diocese of Viana.”

Addressing himself to the Clergy present at the May 26 celebration, Bishop Lopes expressed gratitude. He said, “You know me – at least those of you who have worked with me. It’s easier for you to know a Bishop than it is for us to know each of you. You come from across this vast country. Some of you have grown beards, others changed appearance. But I thank God I’ve begun to know even those, who have arrived recently.”

He reminded the Clergy of the dignity of their calling, saying, “Consider your vocation as the greatest gift God has given you, after life and Baptism.”

Bishop Lopes thanked all those who helped organize what he described as a simple, Franciscan-style celebration, saying it was in line with his request. 

“Every day, I pray for all of you – from Bishop Emílio Sumbelelo to the Priests, Seminarians, and Laity. I only ask that you do the same for me,” he said.

Bishop Lopes made his solemn profession in September 1972 and was ordained a Priest in May 1975, in Angola. He was appointed the first Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dundo in 2002. In 2007, he was transferred to the Diocese of Viana.

Bishop Lopes resigned in February 2019 at the age of 69.