Third National Laity Congress Opens in Angola with Calls for Renewed Lay Commitment to Nation, Faith

Namibe, 26 July, 2025 / 9:40 PM

Angola’s Third National Congress of Catholic Laity has opened in the Diocese of Namibe with a call for lay Christians to deepen their commitment to the Church and contribute to the nation’s renewal.

Addressing participants at the pre-congress conference that was held on Thursday, July 24, at the University of Namibe, the Local Ordinary of Namibe Diocese said the Catholic Church in Angola has been shaped and built by lay people whose witness and sacrifices sustained the faith through difficult times.

“It was the lay people who kept the missions going, who were present where the Priest was not, who took on responsibilities with courage and sacrifice. With their own lives, through sacrifice, struggle, and martyrdom, they built this Church in Angola,” Bishop Dionísio Hisiilenapo said at the start of the July 24-27 conference that was held under the theme “Angola at 50 Years: The Role of Catholic Laity in the Political, Social, Economic, and Business Sectors.”

He added, “Lay people also have a decisive role in the world, in social, political, and economic environments. The layperson is in politics, in the economy, in academia, in businesses, in the justice system, in banking — wherever human presence is found, there is the layperson. So, it is your duty to be there, to be salt of the earth and light of the world.”

The Local Ordinary of Namibe, who also serves as Vice-President of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST), emphasized that the laity are essential to both Church and society. 

“It is impossible to imagine a Church that is not made up of lay men and women,” Bishop Hisiilenapo said, emphasizing that “faith is not limited to occasional practice, but is a reality that structures the life and actions of every Christian, both within the Church and in society.”

He said, “Christians are called to serve the nation with a spirit of dedication and sacrifice. We serve God first and then the nation. One must never use the nation for personal gain. Our vocation is total self-giving.”

“If lay people are present in politics, in the economy, in finance, in business, and the country is in the state it's in, then each one must reflect: what kind of Christian am I being?” the Angolan Catholic Bishop said.

He lamented a loss of moral vision and civic responsibility, warning that the decline in humanistic education has contributed to societal breakdown. 

“Today, people fight against the police, against authority. That didn’t happen before. What was lost was ethics. Philosophy was lost. Anthropology was lost. The human sciences that made us think are gone,” Bishop Hisiilenapo said.

He continued, “Without the human sciences, the soul becomes unbalanced. There is no sense of the common good.”

The 58-year-old Catholic Bishop also noted that “one cannot celebrate jubilees — neither the Church's nor national independence — without a global vision and a commitment to the future.”

He said, “Celebrating is not just about pomp and circumstance. It’s about asking: what do we do next? What kind of country do we want to build? With whom? The Church and the country are celebrating 50 years of independence. It is not a time to blame the colonizers. It is a time for responsibility. The lay Christian must be present in all spheres, illuminating them with the Gospel.”

The Catholic Church leader challenged Christian professionals — including those in politics, education, law, and finance — to take personal responsibility for the state of the nation. 

“If the country is in the state it’s in, each one must ask: what kind of Christian am I being?” he said.

Bishop Hisiilenapo insisted that the Christian faith is not an occasional activity but a lived commitment.

“It’s not a shirt. It is life itself. You, the laity, are in the economy, the judiciary, the schools — not the Priests. We depend on you. It is a grave responsibility,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop said.

He called for the emergence of a new generation of lay people who are “holy, clear-headed, and committed,” and who will help rebuild society with integrity and faith.