This position is contained in the Pastoral Note on the Social Situation of Angola, presented at the end of the meeting of the Permanent Council of bishops, which points out the need for everyone, "without exception", to reflect on the country's current situation, marked by a profound socioeconomic crisis .
"We all need, without exception, to sit down and reflect together on everything that went wrong, appreciate the positive things we were able to achieve and immediately begin rebuilding our social fabric", argue the bishops.
According to Catholic prelates, in reflections on the current situation of the country, which celebrates 48 years of independence on Saturday, the last 21 years of effective peace, it is necessary to establish priorities, such as national reconciliation.
"We need to know how to establish priorities such as national reconciliation, seeking consensus [and] avoiding wasting energy and intelligence uselessly", they observe.
The bishops emphasize the "urgency of credible social communication, which unites Angolans, and is governed by criteria of serene objectivity, which avoids propaganda and gets rid of information methods that, by violating justice and truth, harm dignity and good name of citizens".
For CEAST bishops, social communication must be an instrument of peace and development.
The "effective" establishment of a democratic State based on the rule of law, "where the primacy of law and justice are for everyone without exception", was also highlighted as a component to be taken into account in approaches to the current situation in Angola.
The meeting of the Permanent Council of the college of Catholic bishops, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday, in Luanda, approved the agenda for the first CEAST plenary assembly of 2024, scheduled for the month of February in the province of Malanje.
