This position is contained in the final communiqué of the II Ordinary Annual Assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), which ended this Saturday in Luanda, presented by the conclave's spokesperson and bishop of Cabinda, Belmiro Chissengueti.
Catholic prelates welcomed and encouraged all citizens to participate in the General Population and Housing Census, which runs until September 30 across the country, also encouraging citizens to collaborate in the preparation of a true examination of national conscience, within the scope of the celebrations 50 years of independence until November 2025.
A “true examination of national conscience” tending to “overcome intolerance and the search for true national reconciliation”.
The bishops found that in a country “negatively marked by poverty, hunger and underdevelopment”, the executive must prioritize “policies aimed at reducing the cost of the basic food basket due to heavy and unbearable taxes of various types”.
According to the CEAST bishops, the aforementioned taxes are responsible for the bankruptcy of many national companies and pave the way “for the dangerous loss of economic independence with all the harmful consequences for the social life of families and individuals”.
Belmiro Chissengueti said that the bishops' appeal, “about the precarious situation of citizens”, is addressed to the executive as it is the guardian of public policies and the preparation of the State Budget.
He lamented the poverty rates that persist, the recurrent robberies of trucks with food products on public roads and the loss of purchasing power of salaries, arguing that the fight against hunger “must be a priority for any nation, because no one progresses and survives without empty belly.”
The bishops also expressed “great sadness and pain” over the exclusion of thousands of children and adolescents from the educational system, noting that such a situation jeopardizes their future and the future of the nation.
In a press conference, the CEAST spokesperson also considered that the nation cannot be built without children's education, remembering that the country will celebrate 50 years of independence in 2025 and the “problem of school inclusion must be taken seriously ”.
“Child violence and drug use persist and we, adults, should be ashamed of not having given better attention to children, as there was no lack of opportunities”, he criticized.
The CEAST plenary reappointed the outgoing board for another three years, maintaining Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba as president of the body, Bishop Estanislau Marques Chindecasse (vice-president), Bishop Maurício Camuto (general secretary) and Archbishop Luzizila Kiala (deputy secretary general) for the biennium 2024-2027.
The pastoral message “Chosen to be with Him” 2024-2025 and the regulation of Catholic scouts in the Association of Scouts of Angola were approved in this conclave.
