Bishops warn of "loss of confidence" in justice through "political interference"

"That there is a great effort to safeguard the democratic and rule of law, maintaining the independence of the executive, legislative and judicial powers", recommended the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), at the end of their second annual plenary assembly.

This appeal follows several interpretations of a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court (TC), released last week, which annulled the 13th congress of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which elected Adalberto Costa Júnior as leader of the broken.

The current socio-political context of the country also deserved the attention of the CEAST bishops during the plenary that took place between 6 and 11 October, in Luanda, and the abstracts of the works were presented at a press conference.

In a press release, presented by the Bishop of Cabinda and CEAST spokesman, Belmiro Chissengueti, the bishops expressed their concern about the "increased levels of insecurity throughout the country", where religious institutions "are not spared. ".

In relation to robberies, he said, the country lives in cities, "especially in Luanda, security situations are quite serious, robberies have multiplied".

"Of course, this multiplication of robberies forces us to speak, not least because two of our institutions were robbed during our plenary. Therefore, what we are asking is for the police to have mobility capacity to be able to cover what they touch responsibility," said Belmiro Chissengueti.

According to the Catholic bishops, Angola is experiencing a "growth of pre-electoral tension" between the two major parties in the country and it is necessary "to improve the political discourse to ensure peace, security and harmony among citizens".

The bishops also consider that rising inflation "has reduced the purchasing power of citizens" and that the long summer, especially in the south of the country, contributed to the "increase of hunger due to lack of food".

In the field of religious life in Angola, Catholic prelates approved the "calendarization of the phases of the experience and implementation of the Synod, with the parish phase until January 31, 2022 and the diocesan phase until February 10, 2022".

They also approved the new direction of the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN), constituted by Mother Maria da Assunção Alberto (rector), Márcia Nigiolela Ganga da Costa de Brito (vice-rector for the Academic area), Benja Satula (vice-rector for the Research and University Extension) and Father Apolinário Hilemusinda (General Secretary).

Father Augusto Epalanga, of the diocesan clergy of Huambo, was elected the new director of Rádio Ecclesia – Emissora Católica de Angola, and Father António Estêvão, information director of the radio station supervised by CEAST.