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There’s No Justification for Angolans’ “cycle of poverty, misery”: Catholic Bishop Cautions Politicians against Egoism

Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the Catholic Diocese of Caxito in Angola. Credit: ACI Africa

Angola, the Southern African nation that is endowed with natural resources, should not be having any of its citizens reeling in poverty and misery as, unfortunately, it is the case, the Catholic Bishop of the country’s Caxito Diocese has told ACI Africa.

Speaking to ACI Africa on the challenges and opportunities of the people of God in Angola, Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the country’s Catholic Diocese of Caxito highlighted economic hardships as a major challenge for an average Angolan, and attributed the unfortunate situation to egoism on the part of the political leaders, who he said are under the influence of some “foreign powers”.

“The economic crisis is a global experience. However, there are certain communities, countries, and groups of people, who suffer more the consequences of this economic crisis. This is also the situation in Angola,” Bishop Camuto said during the January 26 interview in Rome.

Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the Catholic Diocese of Caxito in Angola. Credit: ACI Africa

In Angola, he said, “we really live great difficulties; and this is felt even in the church. People are becoming more and more poor, without means of livelihood, people who are hungry, who do not have the possibility to pay for education, for health services; there are many challenges.”

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For the Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp./Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans), Angola is such “a rich country, endowed with a lot of resources”; the situation of poverty and misery cannot be justified. 

“As someone said, this is perhaps our misfortune; the richer you are, especially in Africa, the more unfortunate you are, because our political leaders seem to follow a program of foreign powers, of someone else, who is not from the country. They just can't put resources to the benefit of society,” he lamented.

Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the Catholic Diocese of Caxito in Angola. Credit: ACI Africa

Most of the resources that Angola is endowed with, Bishop Camuto further lamented, “benefit only a small group, people from the same party or allies, but not the society in general.”

Asked about what the Church leadership is doing in the face of the observed egoism on the part of Angola’s political leaders, the Spiritan Bishop highlighted the various ways Church leaders advocate for a change of the status quo in the Southern African nation. 

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Catholic Church leaders challenge Angola’s political leaders “in our homilies, in our speeches, in our pastoral letters,” he said.

Credit: ACI Africa

“We always challenge the governance of our country, so that the governors can do their job well, so that they look after the needs of the people, especially the needy people in the country ... We don't find any reasons why people should suffer.”

Angola’s political leaders, Bishop Camuto emphasized, “have to make efforts to get out of this cycle of poverty, this cycle of misery that doesn't do good to people, doesn't do good to citizens.”

Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the Catholic Diocese of Caxito in Angola. Credit: ACI Africa

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As Catholic Bishops, he went on to say, “we have appealed to the government, to the politicians, to those who run the country, to cbange their behaviour, to change the way they govern, to change the way they do politics, because politics is about being at the service of society and the community, and not just to serve their parties or their family.”

All Angolans should benefit from the resources and riches of the country, the Local Ordinary of Caxito Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in August 2020 told ACI Africa in Rome.

Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the Catholic Diocese of Caxito in Angola. Credit: ACI Africa

He reiterated the prophetic role of the Catholic Church leaders in Angola, saying, “As missionaries, as proclaimers of the Word of God, we cannot let ourselves be led astray; we cannot be discouraged.

“We encourage the people to have the courage to face these difficulties, because they are only for a period; it’s a phase in their history as it has been elsewhere in the world; it’s a phase that will pass away,” Bishop Camuto said, and added, “We must look at our faith, and not let ourselves be led by any other path.”

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