Catholic Archbishop in Angola Urges Teachers to Be “authentic educators of faith, hope”

Huambo, 29 August, 2025 / 4:05 PM

Archbishop Zeferino Zeca Martins of Angola’s Catholic Archdiocese of Huambo has urged Catholic teachers to embrace their teaching apostolate as “authentic educators”, guiding learners not only in academics but also in the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love.

In his homily during a Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday, August 28, the Feast of St. Augustine, Archbishop Zeca urged all educators in Catholic schools to be conscious Christians and teachers with a missionary awareness and orientation.

“You are not merely transmitters of school content, but authentic educators of faith and hope. Catholic teachers must be missionary disciples and living witnesses of Christ in the classroom. You must be conscious Christians and missionary teachers,” the Angola Catholic Archbishop said during the Holy Mass held at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Huambo Archdiocese.

He explained, “To be a conscious Christian is to recognize that our vocation is deeply united with the mission of evangelization. A teacher who teaches only with reason, without the light of the Holy Spirit, runs the risk of forming people empty of meaning and values.”

Archbishop Zeca encouraged Catholic teachers to follow the example of St. Augustine, “a man transformed by his encounter with God, who dedicated his wisdom to truth and justice.”

“You are called to form new men and women committed to the common good and to the values of the Kingdom,” The Angolan member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) said, and added, “It is not possible to be a Catholic teacher and live as if God did not exist.”

He continued, “The role of a Catholic educator is not exhausted in technical competence or pedagogical skill; it demands coherence between faith and life. A Catholic school is not a neutral space—it is fertile ground for the proclamation of the Gospel.”

Archbishop Zeca emphasized that being a missionary teacher means living in a permanent state of mission, bearing witness to Christian values in every gesture, word, and attitude.

“The mission begins in the classroom, but it does not end there. It begins with the curriculum, but it must continue in personal witness. Our challenge is to be a sign of God’s love in a world marked by indifference, superficiality, and moral relativism,” he said.

The 59-year-old Catholic Archbishop underscored the importance of unity within the Catholic educational community, and added, “A divided Catholic school cannot be a witness to the Church’s communion.”

He called upon teachers to reject the culture of selfishness and vanity that threatens the true meaning of education.

“We live in a society shaped by the cult of appearance and vanity. Social media has created a generation of show-offs with superficial values. The Christian teacher must be a witness of humility and truth,” Archbishop Zeca said.

He further said, “You are not called to shine with your own glory, but with the light of Christ. Denounce the structures of sin that trivialize human dignity and reject the cult of the self, of power for power’s sake, of knowledge without service.”

“Do not retire before your time. You still have much to give to the Church and to society. The mission does not end with age or with difficulties. Every lesson, every encounter with a student, is an opportunity to plant a seed of the Kingdom,” he said.

The Angolan Catholic Church leader further said, “A Catholic teacher is not just a state employee or a school worker; he or she is sent by God. As such, you must remain faithful to your mission, even when human recognition fails or when society loses faith in education as an essential value.”