Catholic Archbishop in Angola Urges Politicians to “set aside internal problems”, Attend to People’s Needs

Archbishop Imbamba went to express concern about peace in Angola, which seems to be “more of a political issue, more of a party issue.”

He said the absence of war is not a guarantee of peace, emphasizing the need to “understand that the process of peace and reconciliation is a social process as a whole.”

“The entire society must be involved, the whole family must be involved, all institutions must be involved,” Archbishop Imbamba said.

In the April 8 interview with TPA, the Local Ordinary of Saurimo lamented on the inability of Angolans to resolve their problems.

“We are getting used to revolving around the same problems; it seems we want to get out, but in reality, we are not moving forward. We cannot continue to live on incessant promises, promises that never materialize,” he said.

More in Africa

Assert Africa’s “sovereign voice” in Global Policy Forums: Pan-African Conference on Family Values Delegates to Gov’ts

Read the article

Archbishop Imbamba went on to lament Angola's social challenges, saying, “Our hearts break when we encounter these realities. This is because there are regions where there is no television, no electricity, no water, no movement of people and goods, no access to healthcare, and the roads are terrible.”

“There is a need for us to stop. There is a real need to ensure that the country grows in a harmonious way, without these imbalances that make some people well off, while others still live in poverty and misery, with nothing,” the Catholic Church leader said.

He called on members of the government to “travel around the country, to visit various regions. They must go to the most remote areas, feel the roads we have, experience the difficulties we live in, and listen to what the people have to say.”

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