“They are destroying our communities”: Catholic Archbishop in Angola Calls for Criminalization of Diviners

“We must break free from the myths and falsehoods that make us believe death is always caused by someone else. Ours must become a society of knowledge, science, and reason,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop, who serves as the President of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST) said.

Denouncing the belief in mystical objects and rituals as sources of power, he said, “We can no longer fall into the trap of thinking some doll or object gives us life, wealth, or fame. This outdated mentality must be broken.”

Archbishop Imbamba faulted educated individuals, who participate in or tolerate such practices, saying, “Those so-called doctors and graduates who still cling to these superstitions are not yet free from the darkness of ignorance. They remain culturally enslaved.”

“Last year, one of these individuals was going house to house, demanding payment for entering homes uninvited, claiming to be searching for witchcraft. Often, it’s their accomplices who plant suspicious items in homes to validate their false claims,” he recounted the incident in Angola’s Monoco Province.

For him, “It is unacceptable for the authorities to stand by while these people disturb peaceful citizens, entering private property under the guise of fetishism. This must end.”

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Archbishop Imbamba, who has been at the helm of Saurino Archdiocese since his installation in July 2011 called for a legal intervention in the vice through some framework, and added, “This issue is often brushed aside as part of customary law, but we must reform these customs. Culture should liberate, not oppress.”

“Authorities must sit down and say: our jurists must criminalize this. Because the violations being committed are unspeakable,” he said during the June 19 press conference.

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