People “don’t need scandals”: Catholic Archbishop in Angola to New Deacons

The Local Ordinary of Malanje since his installation in November 2021 noted that proclaiming Jesus Christ does not mean engaging in empty proselytism, but assuming a deep personal commitment. 

“To be sent on a mission is to put one’s own life, one’s own interests, one’s own flesh at stake. It is to proclaim Christ through witness and not only with words,” he said.

Archbishop Kiala further said the Word of God is not only to be proclaimed but also welcomed and practiced, recalling that “it offers luminous answers in critical moments of life, consoles in times of sadness, strengthens in suffering, and gives serenity amid trials.”

According to the Archbishop who also serves as Chair of the National Commission for the Liturgy of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST), it is through attentive listening to and meditation on the Word that Christians learn to look at reality with God’s eyes, allowing the divine way of thinking to become, gradually, their own way of thinking. 

“The Word helps us better understand what we are living in Christ and to discover the friendly presence of God in our history,” the Catholic Church leader said.

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Archbishop Kiala added that the Word of God also has a communal dimension, because it “awakens the faith of the community, gathers the people, enlightens life, and calls to sharing.” 

The Local Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Malanje said that the Word produces true good only when it is received seriously and translated into concrete actions. 

“Jesus came to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and that Kingdom begins when the Word is put into practice in daily life, in service, forgiveness, and charity,” he emphasized.

Archbishop Kiala emphasized that the ministry of the Word demands ongoing conversion, since “whoever proclaims the Gospel must dwell in the Gospel,” becoming a true “living gospel.”

“It is better to remain silent and not be, than to speak and not live. Word and life must walk together,” he said.

For Archbishop Kiala, the true disciple chooses Christ as the model of life. 

“A Christian who does not look to Jesus as a reference cannot consider himself His disciple. To follow Christ is to renounce oneself to serve in love,” he said.

Archbishop Kiala recalled that in the Church there is only one Lord, who is Christ, and all are servants. 

“Ordination is not a promotion. It is service. We are all called to serve with humility, zeal, and fidelity, for the building up of the people of God,” the Catholic Church leader said.

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