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Angola reminds papal audience of "new stage" of independence

Angola recalled this Wednesday the audience of Pope Paul VI to African independence leaders 50 years ago, considering that the meeting "marked a new stage" in the independence process and contributed to the end of colonization.

Picasa: Papa Paulo VI
Papa Paulo VI   Picasa

In a communiqué, divulged this Wednesday by the Angolan Embassy to the Holy See, the Angolan diplomacy classified as "a sign of hope" the "historical meeting" of Pope Paul VI with the leaders of the liberation movements Agostinho Neto (Angola), Amílcar Cabral (Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde) and Marcelino dos Santos (Mozambique).

"This meeting, occurred 50 years ago, did not only mark a new stage in the process that culminated with the independence of the countries and contributed for the end of the colonization, but it evidenced to the world the pontifical inclination for the hope and the peace", stated the note.

African independence leaders were welcomed by Pope Paul VI at the end of the International Conference of Solidarity with the Peoples of the Portuguese Colonies on July 1, 1970.

The conference and the audience, which are now 50 years old, were considered decisive for the recognition of the right to self-determination of the peoples of the then Portuguese colonies and decisive in the fight for independence.

A protocol session and a series of conferences were planned for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary, but the programme was eventually cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.

"The pandemic makes it impossible to hold the just celebrations of the memorable audience, but it does not prevent us from expressing our satisfaction for the relations between the Holy See and the countries, which throughout these decades have deepened and consolidated," he pointed out.

Diplomacy recalled that at the end of the audience, the Pope gave each of the leaders a copy of the encyclical Populorum Progressio, in which he directed the Catholic Church's attention to "the development of peoples," especially those who "strive to dispel hunger, misery, endemic diseases, ignorance, who seek a wider participation in the fruits of civilization, a more active appreciation of human qualities, and who are decisively oriented towards their full development.

Angola also pointed out that, 50 years later, "African aspirations have changed", but that the Vatican's words and position continue to be "an inspiration for the challenges of the future".

With the memory of the decisive audience of Paul VI and the encouragement of Pope Francis "we have today the certainty that we can face the future with confidence," the communiqué sustained, underlining the hearings granted by the current leader of the Catholic Church to the presidents of the republics of Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique, as well as the apostolic journey of the Pontiff to Mozambique and Madagascar in September 2019.

"We have followed the solid path that distinguishes the relations between the Holy See and our countries. We are grateful for the tireless gestures of Pope Francis in favour of overcoming poverty, the spirit of mercy, the protection of the environment, and for the attention he gives to developing countries", he concluded.

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