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“A life given for the Church”: Angola’s First Cardinal Remembered at Centenary Birth Anniversary

João Vissesse

By João Vissesse

Luanda, 04 March, 2025 / 3:15 pm (ACI Africa).

Late Alexandre Cardinal do Nascimento, the first Cardinal in the Southern African nation of Angola, has been honoured on the centenary of his birth, with the people of God in the country invited to reflect on his legacy of faith, service, and intellectual contribution to the Church.

In his homily during the Thanksgiving Mass in honour of Cardinal do Nascimento, who passed on in September 2024, Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias of Angola’s Catholic Archdiocese of Luanda expressed gratitude to God for the life of the late Cardinal.

“Today, with hearts full of gratitude, though touched by the pain of longing, we do not celebrate death, but the magnificent existence of a servant deeply in love with his Lord,” Archbishop Dias said on March 2.

Reflecting on the late Cardinal’s sense of patriotism and faith commitment, the Angolan Catholic Archbishop described him as “a man of faith who, until his last breath, never ceased to show his passion for us, his passion for the nation as a citizen and his boundless devotion to the Church as a Christian and priest of Christ, a life given for the Church.”

The Catholic Archbishop of Luanda recalled how the late Cardinal was revered not only for his spiritual leadership but also for his eloquence and literary depth. 

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“He transformed the silent words of our language into the most beautiful poetry, elevating them to a sublime melody,” Archbishop Dias said.

He recalled the late Cardinal’s resilience that he said was manifested in the hardships he endured, including his forced exile. 

“He was affectionately called ‘Padre Nascimento’ by the people of the hinterlands because his words were sacramentally associated with the Word of God,” Archbishop Dias said.

Born in Angola’s Province of Malanje on 1 March 1925, Cardinal do Nascimento was ordained a Priest in December 1952.

After serving as Local Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of Malanje since his Episcopal Consecration, he was transferred to Angola’s Archdiocese of Lubango in February 1977, and elevated to Archbishop. He was created Cardinal during the February 1983 Consistory.

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In February 1986, the Angolan Cardinal was transferred to the Archdiocese of Luanda, where he served till his retirement. 

Addressing the Cardinal’s family during the March 2 Eucharistic celebration, Archbishop Dias acknowledged their grief and urged them to find solace in gratitude. 

“Beloved family of our Cardinal, you more than anyone feel the longing, but also the gratitude for the son that God gave you and that you, in turn, gave to the Church,” he said.

The Archbishop of Luanda added, “We wished this day would be different; that we would celebrate by his side. Yet, for those who live in the spirit, there are no distances, no barriers; only encounters and presences.”

João Vissesse

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

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