Catholic Scouts in Angola Urged to Deepen Faith, Communion after Split from National Association

Luanda, 24 September, 2025 / 4:03 PM

Bishop Martín Lasarte Topolansky of Angola’s Lwena Diocese has urged Catholic scouts in the country to strengthen their mission in the Church with fidelity, clarity, and communion following their official separation from the Association of Scouts of Angola (AEA).

In a Pastoral letter issued September 21, Bishop Lasarte called on the Catholic Scouts of Angola (AECA) to preserve their ecclesial identity, to deepen their faith, and to remain united with their pastors after the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST) decided in July 2025 to withdraw the group from the AEA.

“This decision allows for greater institutional clarity regarding who is ultimately responsible for scout groups that operate within ecclesial structures,” Bishop Lasarte explained, emphasizing that Catholic Scouts must reaffirm their communion with the local Church and Youth Ministry.

He clarified, “The AEA recognizes as its supreme authority the Regional Boards and the Central Board in Luanda. AECA, however, is under the authority of Parish Priests or designated delegates and, in a particular way, the Diocesan Bishop.”

For the Catholic Bishop, this decision should not be seen as exclusion but as a reaffirmation of the pastoral and spiritual identity of Catholic scouts.

The separation, he said, allows for greater institutional clarity about who is ultimately responsible for the groups. “Catholic scouting will continue to be united with diocesan youth life, not as a separate, parallel, or self-referential body,” the Local ordinary of Lwena said.

He underlined that Catholic scouting should not be reduced to “uniforms, discipline, or well-structured leadership” but must above all be an instrument of evangelization rooted in the commandment of love. 

“We follow, first and foremost, Jesus Christ, Shepherd, Bridegroom, and Head of the Church,” the Uruguayan-born member of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) said.

He emphasized that parents and guardians also have a vital role in this process of discernment, saying, “I advise guardians not to be guided merely by personal or emotional sympathies toward a particular leader but to consider the institutional solidity of the movement to which they entrust their sons and daughters.”

While noting that scouts who remain in the AEA are still welcome in the Church as Catholics, Bishop Lasarte clarified that they must gather outside Catholic facilities. 

He noted that the new phase is a moment of renewal for Catholic scouting,  urging Parish Priests and AECA leaders to register, motivate, and guide scout groups with serenity and creativity, free from conflict.

Reflecting on his personal experience as a Scout, Bishop Lasarte noted that different scout associations can coexist harmoniously, enriching unity through diversity. 

He noted that the AECA is not in confrontation with the AEA but is pursuing its own mission within the Church.

“Dear children, adolescents, youth, and Scout leaders, may we, like Mary, always remain ready with simplicity and humility to serve God and our brothers and sisters,” the Catholic Church leader implored.