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Mission Month: Catholic Official in Angola Advocates for Action-based Solidarity with Poor

Credit: Radio Ecclesia

During the month of mission, October, the people of God in Angola need to go beyond proclaiming the Gospel in mere words, and manifest their solidarity with the poor and needy through actions. 

In his homily Thursday, October 5 homily, the National Pastoral Coordinator of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST), Fr. Afonso Ligório Tchimuk, expressed concern about the rising cost of living in the Southern African nation.

“In this month of the missions, let's also take Jesus to the people, not just with words, but with deeds,” Fr. Ligório said at the CEAST chapel in Luanda, and added, “Let's look at our country, which is going through various difficulties.”

He went on to highlight the challenges the people of God in Angola are facing, placing emphasis on the high cost of living.

“The economic crisis that Angola is facing has become a food crisis, since the national currency, the Kwanza, has lost its value against foreign currencies,” he lamented, and continued, “The economic crisis is becoming increasingly acute, since the country has high unemployment and imports almost everything, even food.”

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He further lamented, “Even wage earners can't buy, let alone those who don't have a job.”

“We continue to see people eating from garbage, looking for food in garbage cans; the price of basic food is getting higher and higher,” Fr. Ligório said.

The National Pastoral Coordinator of CEAST underscored the need pay attention to the message of Jesus Christ, saying, “If we truly listen to the Word of God, like the Israelites, we will seek, proceed with greater precision and help the people who are suffering.”

“Let us ask God that the men and women of our society, of our time, may truly hear and understand God's words, in order to help those most in need, in this country where many people who have nothing to eat complain of hunger, because some say that they have no way of disposing of the produce from the fields, which even spoils, while others are dying of hunger,” the Catholic Priest said.

Fr. Ligório implored, “May Mary our Mother intercede for us before her son Jesus Christ. May she who is the Queen of the missions intercede for us.”

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