Cardinal Filoni calls on Angolan Bishops to cultivate unity

English Africa Service– Vatican City

Agenzia Fides reports that while visiting Angola’s ecclesiastical province of Saurimo on the second day of his pastoral visit to Angola, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples  has called on the Bishops of the Province to be "united and supportive” of each other and to consolidate the spirit of ecclesial and fraternal communion.

Church in Angola is lively, dynamic and busy

Saurimo is the capital of the Lunda Sul province of Angola. The ecclesiastical province of Saurimo is located in the northeastern part of the country and encompasses the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saurímo; Dioceses of Dundo and Lwena

"The Church in Angola is becoming increasingly lively, dynamic, busy and constantly growing as evidenced by the growing number of priests, local religious men and women, children of this land, and the progress of the process of rooting (the gospel locally). We see the creation of pastoral structures, and the organisation of your dioceses, the commitment of many lay people, especially catechists, in the field of evangelisation, the Sunday attendance of the faithful to Churches, their participation in the Sacraments and the solidarity demonstrated especially in times of difficulty," the Cardinal said.

Cardinal calls for close collaboration among Bishops

The Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples advised the Episcopal communion to become more aware of the collegial dimension of the ministry entrusted to them. He told the Bishops, "together, and in close collaboration with one another, you can progress in the work of evangelisation."

Cardinal Filoni then focused on some pastoral priorities.

According to Agenzia Fides, the Cardinal told the Angolan Bishops that their pastoral priorities must include attention to priests, religious men and women, care for candidates to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, assistance and accompaniment of the laity, in particular, young people and families, through an integral and permanent formation.

(SL) (Agenzia Fides)