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Catholic University of Angola Silver Jubilee Celebration Sets “a new stage” for “dreams, great dreams”: Vatican Cardinal

José Tolentino Cardinal Calaça de Mendonça

The 25th anniversary of the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN) sets “a new stage” for “great dreams”, the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education has said.

In his February 22 homily during the UCAN Silver Jubilee celebration, José Tolentino Cardinal Calaça de Mendonça emphasized that the “great dreams” need to be “collective and feasible” and urged Catholics in Angola to embrace UCAN as “a project born from and pulsating within the heart of the Church.”

“A university is a treasure for all. It serves the common good, and it is essential that, as an institution, UCAN, like a 25-year-old young adult, has dreams and great dreams,” Cardinal Tolentino said.

The Silver Jubilee celebration “now begins a new stage in the history of the Catholic University of Angola,” he said, adding that the dreams of the Luanda-based institution of higher learning “must be progressive, communal, collective, and feasible.”

“These dreams must involve various partnerships, both official and civil, making the project ever more known and shared,” the Vatican Cardinal said during the Eucharistic celebration that was held at Our Lady of Fatima Parish of Luanda Archdiocese.

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Cardinal Tolentino recalled the words of Pope St. John Paul II during his visit to Angola in June 1992, saying, “Dedicate your lives to worthy and just causes. Build a homeland rooted in authentic human and Christian values. Build something meaningful. Love one another and help each other, with special attention to the poor.”

The Vatican-based Cardinal, who was guest of honor at the anniversary celebration said the words of Pope St. John Paul II reflect the vision that inspired the foundation of UCAN, which was established in 1999 with 350 students and 14 lecturers.  

He paid tribute to Alexandre Cardinal do Nascimento, the late Archbishop of Luanda who played a key role in founding of the Catholic institution of higher learning.

“Cardinal Nascimento was a remarkable figure, not only for his work in Angola, particularly in the Archdiocese of Luanda, but also in shaping contemporary Angola. Internationally, within the Universal Church, he was a key figure in Caritas Internationalis, a priest, a humanist, a thinker who greatly contributed to the Church of his time,” the Portuguese-born Cardinal said.

Reflecting on UCAN’s journey over the past 25 years, Cardinal Tolentino underscored the need for continued investment to realize “high-quality university education”.

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“A quarter of a century later, we see that the commitment was worth it. We must keep investing, ensuring high-quality university education, forming competent professionals in various fields, and shaping citizens who are sensitive to the need to build the common good, social justice, and progress in a spirit of fraternity and peace,” he said.

The Vatican Cardinal reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to education, saying, “25 years ago, through UCAN, the Angolan Church answered God’s call through history and human needs. The Church unconditionally chose dialogue and service.”

He called for strengthened collaboration to sustain UCAN’s mission. “The Church needs everyone’s help and cooperation to continue its development. How important it would be if all partners maintained the enthusiasm for the project, the passion for the educational mission, the trust, and dedication that characterized its founding,” he said.

The Cardinal also urged Angolans to remain united, saying, “Differences should be attributes that enrich and bring diversity to the Angolan people, not reasons for division and discord. Be a united people; build one nation where all can consider themselves brothers and sisters.”

In his homily, Cardinal Tolentino expressed gratitude for the Angolan Church’s commitment to human formation, in line with the teachings of the Universal Church.

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He cited the Vatican II declaration on Christian education, Gravissimum Educationis, which affirms the Church’s mission to restore all things in Christ through education.

“Thank you for taking this to heart. Thank you for your tireless efforts across Angola to promote Catholic education. Thank you for investing not only in instruction and technical knowledge but in the integral formation of children and young people, helping them fully realize their dignity and vocation as children of God, children of the Church, and citizens of their country,” the Cardinal said.

He acknowledged with appreciation the role of the Clergy, women and men Religious and the Laity in UCAN’s journey. “With the invaluable support of Priests, Religious men and women, and committed laypeople, you, dear Bishops, chose to begin this extraordinary institution 25 years ago,” Cardinal Tolentino said.

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