Bishops in Angola, São Tomé Focusing on Children Faith Education in Pastoral Plan

They noted that the process of children's faith education requires creativity and courage, adding, “We need to have the same enthusiasm as the Christians of the first hour.”

The Plenary Assembly cited widespread corruption, breakdown of family values, absence of some parents in their homes to carry out their mission, and moral relativism as some of the challenges that influence the faith education of children.  

Other issues that came up were religious indifference and ignorance, a weak sense of belonging to the Church and “practical atheism”.

The Catholic Church leaders also expressed concern over the dangers and negative influences African children are exposed to such as “the proselytism” of religious sects, the misuse of social networks and television programs inappropriate to their age.

In their statement, CEAST members also expressed concern over what they described as worrying signs of poverty that they said leave children unable to attend school or catechism classes.

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The Catholic Bishops deliberated broadly on the lack of medical assistance and medication and the lack of guarantees for the children's education as other reasons for the absence of children from their homes between the ages of 6 and 14.

They said, “These are children who spend most of their time on the streets, without parental and family attention and care.”

According to CEAST members, a significant number of children run away from home because of abuse, violence within the family, and economic crises.

In their statement shared with ACI Africa, CEAST members invite “everyone to protect and save the innocence and beauty of the new generations, so that in the future we have healthy citizens, builders of a reconciled, happy and peaceful Angola, where everyone can live in peace and harmony.”

According to CEAST spokesperson, Bishop Chissengueti, in the second year of the triennium, Catholic Bishops in Angola and São Tomé aim to encourage families to participate in the ecclesial process of children's faith education.

This is “to promote a catechesis that indicates, with clarity and depth, the advantages and the advantages and disadvantages of new technologies in the process of evangelization,” the member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), said.

This story was first published by ACI Africa on 29 July 2022

Sheila Pires is a veteran radio and television Mozambican journalist based in South Africa. She studied communications at the University of South Africa. She is passionate about writing on the works of the Church through Catholic journalism.