Catholic Bishops in Angola Appeal for Compassion, Forgiveness, and Peace During Holy Week

Bishop Camuto also condemned government wastage, referencing recent reports of extravagant spending on national flags amidst widespread poverty.

“Millions spent on flags while hospitals lack medicine and people starve; this is not just insensitivity, it's a loss of moral judgment,” he lamented.

Bishop Camuto continued, “We’re also witnessing the purchase of high-end, very expensive luxury vehicles for some ministries or services. It’s insensitivity in the face of so much misery, so much suffering, and the lack of medicines in hospitals.”

He urged the people of God to “free themselves from indifference, greed, and other evils that do not fit in with Christian principles.”

In the Catholic Archdiocese of Malanje, Archbishop Luzizila Kiala underscored the importance of forgiveness in interpersonal relationships, including family members.

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“The forgiveness that comes from the Father reconciles us with our own story, helping us discover not only evil but also good,” Archbishop Kiala said during the Palm Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Maxinde Parish of his Metropolitan See.

He added, “There is no one so good who has no flaws, and no one so bad who has no goodness. In each of us, there is something good. Seek out that goodness, nurture it, and reject and remove the evil. Don’t see life as all bad.”

Archbishop Kiala further said, “In everyone’s life, there is some good, even in others; so, recognize that good in them. That’s why a good deed, a received kindness, matters.”

In family, friendships, and institutional relationships, the Catholic Church leader emphasized that the experience of Jesus Christ should reign within them to help build a better future.

“There are people who abandoned others; people who used to be close but no longer are. We feel this abandonment in families. It’s a great suffering to feel abandoned. So many times, it feels like no one is left, no one loves me anymore. That’s real suffering. The experience of Jesus is the experience of each of us,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lubango, the Local Ordinary reflected on the selfless love of Christ, urging the people of God under his pastoral care to emulate His compassion, particularly for society’s most vulnerable. 

“Christ’s passion reveals a God made weak by love. He suffered hunger, fatigue, and even betrayal—but never stopped loving,” Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi said during Palm Sunday Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral of Lubango Archdiocese.

Archbishop Mbilingi likened Christ’s suffering to modern struggles, saying, “Today’s crucified include victims of violence, poverty, war, and injustice. Over 90% of Angolans face extreme poverty, yet some still deny this reality.”

The Angolan Spiritan Bishop called for an end to all forms of violent conflict, from global wars to family feuds.

“Enough of hate, malice, and indifference. Peace must begin in our families and extend to the entire world. Peace is a shared human treasure,” Archbishop Mbilingi said.

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