Angolan Catholic Archbishop Concerned about “critical” Priests Shortage

“Each municipality and District forms a pastoral center, and many of these, which in the past were served by Priests, are now calling for their presence once more,” he said.

The Archdiocese currently has 150 Priests, but with 19 engaged in studies or pastoral work outside the Episcopal See, only 139 are available to serve locally. 

This number, according to Archbishop Zeca, is insufficient compared to the extensive mission work required in Huambo. 

“Even though we ordain, we never have enough to serve those communities,” he lamented.

In addition to the shortage of Priests, Archbishop Zeca expressed concern about the growing social challenges in Huambo. 

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He described the communities as “socially abandoned,” highlighting deteriorating infrastructure and the lack of basic services such as electricity and water. 

The Angolan member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) gave the example of the broken bridge over the Cunene River, which he said had isolated key missions like Sambo and Samboto for nearly three years, leading to significant hardship and even loss of life.

“These are abandoned communities. In many cases, it’s almost impossible to reach them, especially during the rainy season when vehicles can’t access them,” he explained.

Archbishop Zeca called for a more serious commitment from the Angolan government to address these pressing issues, stressing that mere rhetoric is not enough. 

He also expressed disappointment at the social stratification in Angola, where he said basic services are accessible to some but not others.

 “There are first-class citizens, second-class citizens, and others who don’t even exist socially. This deserves serious reflection and commitment from our state authorities,” the Catholic Church leader said.

Despite these challenges, the Archbishop remains hopeful about the growth of the Catholic Church in Huambo. 

He has seen a gradual increase in vocations and a maturing of the Church’s pastoral activities during his tenure. 

He said the growing number of young men entering the Priesthood has created a need for more seminary facilities, noting that current accommodations often reach capacity.

To address this, Archbishop Zeca is considering using missionary houses and parishes to host aspiring Seminarians until they can move to larger seminary facilities.

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Calling for a new perspective and vision to improve the lives of Angolans, Archbishop Zeca proposed the establishment of factories and industries accessible to all citizens, which he said would help boost the economy and alleviate poverty in the country.

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