Dear brothers in the episcopate,
priests,
consecrated, consecrated,
catechists, brothers and sisters!
It is a great joy for me to meet you. Thank you for your welcome! And first of all I express my gratitude to all those who have served and serve the Gospel in Angola: thank you for the work of evangelization carried out in this country, for the hope of Christ sown in the hearts of the people, for the charity towards the poorest. Thank you for continuing with perseverance to contribute to the progress of this Nation on the solid foundations of reconciliation and peace. A special greeting to my brother Bishops, who preside over the proclamation of the faith and the service of charity. Thank you, Monsignor José Manuel, Archbishop of Saurimofor the words he addressed to me on behalf of the Episcopal Conference.
And if it is up to me, on behalf of the universal Church, to recognize at this moment the Christian vitality that pulsates in your communities, it is up to the Lord to give you the reward. He does not fail to keep his promises! One day, he also addressed these words to you which, with faith, you accepted and made fruitful: “There is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, who does not already now, in this time, receive a hundredfold (…), together with persecutions, and eternal life in the time to come” (Mk 10,29-30).
Dear ones, the Lord knows the generosity with which you have embraced your vocation and is not indifferent to everything that, out of love for him, you do to nourish your people with the truth of the Gospel. It is therefore worth opening your heart entirely to Christ! Perhaps the temptation may arise to think that He is coming to take something away from you, the temptation to hesitate to let Him take the reins of your life. On those occasions, remember that «He takes nothing away, He gives everything. Whoever gives himself for Him receives a hundredfold. Open, throw wide the doors to Christ and you will find true life” (BENEDICT XVI, Homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry, 24 April 2005). I would like to address these words, in a particular way, to the many young people in your seminaries and formation houses. Don’t be afraid to say “yes” to Christto completely model your life on his! Do not be afraid of tomorrow: you belong totally to the Lord. It is worth following him in obedience, in poverty, in chastity. He takes nothing away! The only thing he takes from us and takes upon himself is sin. Yes, from Him you receive everything: this land and the family into which you were born; Baptism, which inserted you into the great family of the Church; and your vocation. «To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1,6).
Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord gives you the joy of being his missionary disciples, the strength to overcome the snares of the evil one, the hope of eternal life. All this is yours, all this is a gift. A gift that ennobles and makes us great, that engages and makes us responsible. And the greatest gift is the Holy Spirit who, poured into your hearts in Baptism, in view of the mission has conformed you in a special way to Christ, who sent you so that, starting from the Gospel, you build a free, reconciled, beautiful and great Angolan society. In this mission, how important is the ministry of catechists! Precisely in Africa it is a fundamental expression of the life of the Church, which can be an inspiration for Catholic communities in every part of the world.
«Everything is yours! But you belong to Christ” (1 Cor 3:23), teaches Saint Paul. Fifty years after the independence of your country, these words of the Apostle tell us that the present and future of Angola belong to you, but you belong to Christ. All Angolans, without exception, have the right to build this country, benefiting from it equitably; however, the Lord’s disciples have the duty to do so according to the law of charity. At the basis of your actions is being disciples of Jesus. It is up to all of you to be his image and, in this task, no one can replace you. This is where your uniqueness lies! You are salt and light of this earth because you are members of the Body of Christ and, for this reason, your gestures, your words and your actions, reflecting his charity, build communities from within and edify for eternity.
What is asked of Christ’s disciples is to remain closely united with Him (see John 15:1-8). The rest will come by itself. I know you’re in the middle of a three-year pastoral period with the motto “Faithful disciples, joyful disciples (see Acts 11,23-26)”, dedicated to prayer and reflection on the ordained ministry and consecrated life. What paths does the Lord open to the Church in Angola? There will certainly be many!
Try to follow them all! But thereThe first way is that of fidelity to Christ. To this end, continue to value ongoing formation, ensure the coherence of life and, especially in these times, persevere in announcing the Good News of peace.
At the school of Christ, who is “the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6), there is always much to learn. Remember Jesus’ dialogue with Philip, when the latter asked him: “Lord, show us the Father, and that is enough for us!”. The Master’s response is surprising: «I have been with you for a long time, and have you not known me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father” (Jn 14:8-9). This reminds us the contemplative dimension of ongoing formation. Knowing Christ undoubtedly passes through good initial formation, with the personal accompaniment of the formators; it passes through adherence to the programs of your dioceses, congregations and institutes; it passes through serious personal study, to enlighten the faithful entrusted to it, saving them above all from the dangerous illusion of superstition. However, the formation is much broader: it concerns the unity of the interior life, the care of ourselves and of the gift of God that we have received (see 2 Tim 1:6), resorting to literature, music, sport, the arts in general, and above all to prayer of adoration and contemplation. Especially in moments of discouragement and trial, «how sweet it is to stand before a crucifix, or on your knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply be before his eyes! How much good it does us to let Him touch our existence again and launch us into communicating His new life!» (FRANCESCO, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 264). Without this contemplative dimension, we cease to be consistent with the Gospel and to reflect the power of the Resurrection.
«Contemporary man – said Saint Paul VI – listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, or, if he listens to teachers, it is because they are witnesses» (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi, 41; cf. General Audience, 2 October 1974). The faithfulness of Christ, who loved us to the end, is the true impulse of our faithfulness. A fidelity that is facilitated by the unity of the presbyters with their bishop and with the brothers of the presbytery, of the consecrated men and women with their superior and among themselves. Dear brothers and sisters, nourish brotherhood among yourselves with frankness and transparency, do not give in to arrogance and self-referentiality, do not detach yourself from the people, especially from the poor, avoid the search for privileges. For your faithfulness and, therefore, for your mission, the priestly or religious family is indispensable, but so is the family in which we were born and raised. The Church has great esteem for the family institution, teaching that the hearth is the place of sanctification of all its members. For many of you, certainly, the cradle of your vocation was your family, which appreciated and nurtured the germination of the special call you received. My heartfelt gratitude therefore goes to your family members for having cared for, supported and protected your vocation. At the same time, I urge them to always help you remain faithful to the Gospel, not to seek advantages from your ecclesial service. May they support you with their prayers and instill enthusiasm in you with the good advice of a father and a mother, so that you may be saints and never forget that, in the image of Jesus, you are servants of all.
Finally, your loyalty in Angola, as it must be throughout the world, is today particularly linked to the proclamation of peace. In the past you have shown courage in denouncing the scourge of war, in supporting tormented populations by remaining at their side, in building and rebuilding, in indicating ways and solutions to put an end to the armed conflict. Your contribution is commonly recognized and appreciated. But this commitment is not over! Therefore promote a reconciled memory, educating everyone towards harmony and valuing, among you, the serene testimony of those brothers and sisters who, after having gone through painful torments, have forgiven everything. Rejoice with them, celebrate for peace!
Furthermore, do not forget that, according to the words of Saint Paul VI, «development is the new name for peace» (Encyclical letter Popolorum progressio, 87). It is therefore decisive that, interpreting reality with wisdom, you do not stop denouncing injustices, offering proposals according to Christian charity. Continue to be a generous Church, which cooperates in the integral development of your country. This is why everything you achieve in the fields of education and healthcare has been and is crucial. In this sense, when difficulties arise, remember the heroic testimony of faith of the Angolan men and womenmissionaries born here or from abroad, who they had the courage to give their lives for this people and for the Gospel, preferring death to the betrayal of justice, of the truth, mercy, charity and peace of Christ. You too, dearest, starting from every Eucharist, are body offered and blood shed for the life and salvation of your brothers. At your side there is always the Virgin Mary, Mama Muxima. God bless and make your dedication and mission bear fruit!
