Vatican Cardinal Calls on New Mozambican Bishop to “be humble, resist temptations”

Pope Francis appointed Mons. Osório as the second Auxiliary Bishop for Maputo Archdiocese on 21 September 2023.

The member of the Institute of Consolata Missionaries was ordained a Priest in November 2002 after completing his theological studies at St. Eugene Mazenod Theological Seminary in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He previously served as an official at the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.

In his January 28 homily, Cardinal Tagle said, “I bring the love and closeness of the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples, where our dear Bishop served so well for many years.”

“Dear Bishop Osório, as a Bishop you will be like a signpost of the faithful service of Jesus Christ to God and to the Church,” the 66-year-old Filipino Cardinal who started his Episcopal Ministry in December 2001 as the Bishop of Imus in the Philippines said. 

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He continued, “Jesus is and will continue to be the true shepherd of his Church. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are constituted as his ministers, his servants and therefore ministers and servants of his Church and its mission.”

The Vatican-based Cardinal cautioned the new Mozambican Bishop against giving into temptations of the evil one, who he said can lure God’s servants to the love of “honor and popularity, titles and benefits.”

“The demon of hypocrisy that makes the teacher use the word of God or the Sacred Ministry to gain honor, popularity, titles and benefits destroys authority,” he said, adding, “Hypocrisy leads to the manipulation of people and the neglect of the poor. However, people are able to sense or even detect the presence or absence of divine authority in their leaders.”

The Catholic Church leader, who was elevated Cardinal November 2012 added, “The demons are afraid of Jesus and the true servants of God. Yet the demons continue to look for leaders in whom they can sow hypocrisy and vanity.”

Bishop Osório, alongside Bishop Tonito José Francisco Xavier Muananoua, will assist Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes, who has been at the helm of Maputo Archdiocese since May 2023 following his 15 November 2022 appointment.

Erected in January 1612 as Apostolic Administration of Mozambique, the Metropolitan See was elevated to the Archdiocese of Maputo in September 1976.

The Mozambican Archdiocese, which measures 26,358 square kilometers has a population of 1,482,700 Catholics, according to 2019 statistics.

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate.