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Catholic Managers, Executives in Angola Urged to “be salt to humanity, light to world”

Bishop Joaquim Nhanganga Tyombe of the Catholic Diocese of Uije in Angola. Credit: Radio Ecclesia

Bishop Joaquim Nhanganga Tyombe of the Catholic Diocese of Uije in Angola has urged members of the  Christian Association of Managers and Executives (ACGD) to have a positive impact on the people they serve, and be a source of inspiration to members of society.

Speaking during a round table discussion to mark 15 years since ACGD was inaugurated, Bishop Tyombe urged members to share their views on what the role of a manager should be in shaping the future of Angolan society.

“As Christians, your task, and mine too, is one of clear discernment; in the midst of negative currents, you must be salt to humanity and light to the world,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop said during the Monday, January 29 event.

He added, “ACGD can contribute and make the Church's thinking and doctrine felt in our Angolan society.”

“This requires work and personal commitment and not settling for the titles of baptized Christians in the Catholic Church and members of ACGD,” the Local Ordinary of Uije Diocese said, and underscored the need for Christians in leadership positions to have a “clear discernment in the midst of negative currents.”

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Also speaking during the event, ACGD President, Francisco Sozinho Chiwissa, said he finds it regrettable that after a decade and a half the association is unable to respond to the demands of members of the  Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST).

“An association like ours should, in all conscience, be capable of meeting the demands, not only of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), but also the demands of Sacred Scripture itself,” Chiwissa said.

He added, “We must work for the good of the community, because as it says, this is an association in which managers, leaders and businesspeople participate.”

“If we look back to the beginning, we had a lot of staff, a lot of leaders, a lot of well-known businesspeople who still exist, but who don't take part in meetings at the moment,” ACGD President lamented.

He highlighted the need to nurture the spiritual lives of ACGD members, their training in Christian principles, the spread of the association to the grassroots, including Parishes, and its sustainability as challenges that must be addressed.

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