Scouting “an excellent way of building Christian, social life”: Catholic Bishop in Angola

“We have a responsibility to instill in children, adolescents and young people, especially in a world of socio-anthropological and cultural change, as well as economic and social change, where the foundations of the modern world, which in the recent past were based on faith, are tending to be destroyed by rampant secularization, which, if not stopped and mitigated with training, runs the risk of man becoming an animal again and returning to pre-Christian barbarism,” Bishop Chissengueti said.

One of the main foundations of scouting is formation, the Bishop of Cabinda Diocese said, noting that it is the responsibility of the Episcopal Commission he leads to help form young people, “through the commitment we make to be formed as leaders.”

“We assume responsibility for helping to form young people, through the commitment we make to be formed as leaders, but there are elements that are non-negotiable, namely the concrete identity in which we carry out our scouting life,” he said.

The Angolan Bishop who also serves as as the president of the Episcopal Commission for youth, university ministry and Scouting of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST)  described scouting as “an indispensable element in the construction of the good citizen.”

He called on scouts in his Episcopal See to pay special attention to better monitoring of scouting in Cabinda.

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“We can't enjoy the beauty of scouting if we don't get to know it, as we saw in the training we had, the task of the scouts is not just to arrange chairs or organize meetings or even celebrations. It goes deeper than that,” Bishop Chissengueti said.

He continued, “When they do these services, they are exercising what is their vocation. But enjoying the knowledge of Scout life makes our ministry sweeter. That's why, dear assistants, it's your responsibility to accompany, guide, be present and not hinder the path of children and young people, as disinterested patrons of their growth.” 

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