“We must return to good values”: Catholic Bishop in Angola to Catechists, Teachers

The Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp./Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans) underscored the importance of Catechists as role models, noting that the Catechist is a role model, “not only in catechesis but also in the neighborhood, at work, everywhere.”

Bishop Camuto highlighted the impact of catechists’ behavior on children, cautioning against leading them astray. 

“The child sees how the catechist behaves, sees if the catechist goes to traditional healers, consults fortune-tellers, or attends questionable gatherings. The child observes, and if the catechist is involved in such things, they are not teaching anything positive; they are, as Jesus said, causing scandal,” he said.

The Catholic Church leaders reminded Catechists of Jesus’ warning about causing scandal, saying, “Whoever causes scandal should have a large stone tied around their neck and be thrown into the sea. This shows the seriousness of scandal. Catechists, it’s a tough message, isn’t it? But this is our mission, and the same goes for teachers.”

Addressing teachers, he said, “The teacher is an example for students. You’re not just a teacher in the classroom. Even on the street, students should greet teachers with respect. Isn’t that how it used to be?”

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Bishop Camuto, “Today, teachers go to bars with students, drinking and dancing with them. How can a student respect the teacher under such circumstances? We can see that our society is moving upside-down.”

 “No one respects anyone anymore. We must return to good values, to good customs,” the Catholic Bishop said.

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