Epiphany Sunday: Catholic Bishops in Angola Call on Christians to Be Living Signs of Christ

The Angolan member of the Society of the Divine Word said the Epiphany of the Lord reveals a God who comes as a child and continually challenges the Church to place children and the suffering at the heart of its pastoral mission. 

The Archbishop noted that “Emmanuel, God with us, never tires of waiting for us,” because “despite our precariousness, our human fragility, our weakness, our errors, our forgetfulness, and even our sins, God continues to wait, because He became man and dwelt among us in our human history.”

According to the Catholic Archbishop, God's “true power lies in the fact that He waits for us so that we may support Him in our lives, in the lives of our families, and in the society of which we are part.”

Meanwhile, in the Catholic Diocese of Benguela, Bishop António Francisco Jaca echoed the same call for visible witness, insisting that faith cannot be lived privately or hidden.

“Faith is not lived in private, as something only for me. It must be made manifest,” he said, adding that through witness, “others should come to faith and discover who Christ is.” 

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Bishop Jaca urged Christians to manifest their faith through concrete actions so that others may encounter Christ. 

Drawing from the image of the Magi, the Angolan SVD member said believers are called to be “stars” that guide others to Jesus, offering their time, talents, and lives to God.

Bishop Jaca also highlighted the Christian life as a pilgrimage that requires effort, perseverance, and conversion. 

He encouraged families, especially parents, to “take responsibility for educating their children in the faith and helping them walk the path that leads to Christ.”

On his part, Bishop Belmiro Cuica Chissengueti of the Catholic Diocese of Cabinda reflected on the Epiphany as a celebration of the Church’s “universality and unity in diversity.”

He reminded the people of God that the Church is called to “welcome all peoples and nations and must never close in on itself or seek political domination.”

Instead, he said, the Church's mission is fundamentally spiritual—proclaiming the faith and fostering communion.

The Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp./Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans) called on Christians to place love above differences, overcome divisions, and live as brothers and sisters in the one family of God. 

He urged them, especially the young, to live their faith with sincerity, authenticity, and openness to others.

“We overcome nationalisms, pluralisms, and regionalisms—often divisive—and open ourselves to the universal dimension of the faith, where we are all brothers and sisters, regardless of our origin and the people to which we belong,” he said.

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