Catholic Archbishop in Angola Urges Newly Ordained Priests to Be “at the service of others” after the Example of Jesus

He went on call upon the Priests-elect to be ever-present in the lives of the people of God under their pastoral care. “The Shepherd must be present at celebrations, in groups, in movements, and in fellowship with the faithful,” the Catholic Church leader said. 

This presence, he further said, “is not just physical but spiritual, emotional, and pastoral, reflecting the grand mystery of Christ’s incarnation. The mission of the Priest is to be close to the people of our time, through his gaze, his feelings, his actions, and his being, reflecting the grand mystery of Christ’s incarnation.”

The Catholic Archbishop of Luanda likened the ordination of a Priest to a renewal of the mystery of the incarnation, where the Priest becomes “a piece of heaven, of the supernatural, of the divine among us.” 

“We could accurately say that when we ordain a Priest, the mystery of Bethlehem happens again. The Priest is a piece of heaven, of the supernatural, of the divine among us,” he added.

Referring to Pope Benedict XVI, he said, “The Priestly life is a school where we learn to give our lives daily, not just at the moment of death or martyrdom, but in every daily act. The Priestly life, the consecrated life, is a man who places himself in this condition and feels touched and empowered to be among others. Only love can give meaning to a life of self-giving.”

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Archbishop Dias noted that true knowledge in the Priestly ministry must come from the heart.

“Knowledge must always be with the heart, which will only be possible if the Lord is open to the path of proximity. It is necessary for a Priest to feel like the Church, living in full harmony with the Church. We must rejoice in the joys of the Church and suffer with its sufferings, always with hope,” he said.

He continued, “The Priestly Ministry is a vocation of love and self-giving, which must be lived in full harmony with the Church, rejoicing in its joys and suffering with its sufferings.”

Archbishop Dias called upon the Priests-elect to be “ambassadors of Christ, acting as intermediaries of reconciliation and closeness with the faithful, always with an open and available heart.”

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