Catholic Bishops Call for Collaboration in Curbing Vandalization, Desecration of Cemeteries in Angola

He highlighted efforts by the previous government to restore dignity to the sacred space.

“The government has worked to restore this church in the cemetery, which stands as a sign of hope at the heart of this place. Having a beautiful and functional space where the Holy Eucharist can be celebrated is fundamental,” the Catholic Church leader said.

He urged the people of God to be “apostles of hope among those who mourn” and to avoid vanity, enmity, and resentment. 

“Only your love, faith, and devotion to the Lord will remain,” Bishop Lasarte said.

He appealed for the involvement of both authorities and civil society to stop the ongoing vandalism within his Diocese, which covers Moxico and Eastern Moxico.

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Similar concerns were raised in the Catholic Diocese of Sumbe, where Bishop Firmino David underscored the need for educational foundations among children and youth as a long-term preventive measure. 

In his homily at the Sumbe cemetery, Bishop Firmino attributed the root of the problem to a lack of basic moral education at home.

“This happens because of insufficient education provided by parents and guardians. If these places are considered important, there must be rigor — but more than laws, what works is education,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop said.

The 63-year-old Catholic Bishop urged those involved in vandalism to abandon what he called “machiavellian plans that do not dignify the resting place of our brothers,” reminding them that “sooner or later, we will all pass through here.”

In the Catholic Archdiocese of Lubango, Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi encouraged the people of God to find hope in the resurrection and in God’s abiding presence.

“If longing floods the heart as we remember loved ones, we should do so with gratitude for their friendship and presence,” Archbishop Mbilingi said.

The Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) emphasized that the day is not one of mourning but of “intimate communion” with those who have gone before in faith.

He reminded the people of God that “there is no God of the dead, but only the God of the living,” inviting them to see themselves as part of “the heavenly Jerusalem” — the community of the redeemed.

“There is no Church of the dead. There is only the Church of the living, where each person remains connected to his brothers and sisters,” Archbishop Mbilingi said.