Dear brothers in the episcopate, priests,
consecrated men and women, catechists,
brothers and sisters!

I also greet the Capuchin Franciscan Fathers who are welcoming us to their house today.  Thank you very much!

It is a great joy for me to meet with you.  Thank you for your warm welcome!  First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have worked to spread and continue to spread the Gospel in Angola.  Thank you for the work of evangelization carried out in this country, for the hope in Christ sown in the hearts of our brothers and sisters and for your charity to those most in need.  Thank you also for your steadfast commitment to contribute to the progress of this nation on the solid foundations of reconciliation and peace.  I offer a special greeting to my brother bishops who preside over the proclamation of the faith and the service of charity.  In a particular way, I thank His Excellency José Manuel, the Archbishop of Saurimo, for his words of welcome on behalf of the Episcopal Conference. 

While it is my duty, on behalf of the universal Church, to acknowledge the Christian vitality that characterizes your communities, it is up to the Lord to reward you.  He never fails to keep his promises!  Jesus spoke these words, which can be addressed to you, because you received them in faith and brought them to fulfillment: “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age…, [along] with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mk 10:29–30).

Dear friends, the Lord knows the generosity with which you embrace your vocation, and he is not indifferent to all that you do, for love of him, to nourish your people with the truth of the Gospel.  It is therefore worth opening your hearts completely to Christ!  You might be tempted to think that he comes to take something away from you, or hesitate to let him take the reins of your life.  In such moments, remember that “He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything.  When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return.  Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life” (Benedict XVI, Homily for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry, 24 April 2005).  I would like to address these words, in particular, to the many young people in your seminaries and houses of formation.  Do not be afraid to say “yes” to Christ, to model your lives entirely on his!  Do not be afraid of tomorrow, for you belong completely to the Lord.  It is worth following him in obedience, poverty and celibacy. 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 has brought you into the great family of the Church; and your vocation. “To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:6).

Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord grants you the joy of being his missionary disciples, the strength to overcome the snares of the evil one and the hope of eternal life.  All of this is yours, and it is all a gift.  A gift that ennobles and makes you great, that commits and empowers you.  The greatest gift is the Holy Spirit who, poured into your hearts at Baptism, has conformed you in a special way to Christ in view of your mission.  He has sent you forth so that, starting from the Gospel, you may build a free, reconciled, beautiful and great Angolan society.  In this mission, how important the ministry of catechists is!  Particularly in Africa, it is a fundamental expression of the life of the Church, which can serve as an inspiration for Catholic communities throughout the world.

“For all things are yours… and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Cor 3:21, 23), teaches Saint Paul.  Fifty years after your country’s independence, these words of the Apostle tell us that Angola’s present and future belong to you, but you belong to Christ.  All Angolans, without exception, have the right to build up this country and to benefit from it equitably; however, the Lord’s disciples have the duty to do so according to the law of charity.  At the heart of your actions lies your identity as disciples of Jesus.  It is up to all of you to reflect his image, and in this task, no one can take your place.  This is where your uniqueness lies!  You are the salt and light of this land because you are members of the Body of Christ; and for this reason, your gestures, words and actions – reflecting his love – build communities from within and build them up for eternity.

Christ’s disciples are asked to remain closely united to him (cf. Jn 15:1–8).  The rest will fall into place. I know that you are in the midst of a three-year pastoral plan with the motto “Faithful disciples, joyful disciples” (cf. Acts 11:23–26), dedicated to prayer and reflection on the ordained ministry and consecrated life.  What paths are being opened by the Lord for the Church in Angola?  There will certainly be many! Try to follow them all!  But the first path is fidelity to Christ. To this end, continue to value ongoing formation, be vigilant about the integrity of your lives, and, especially in these times, persevere in proclaiming the good news of peace.

In the school of Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6), there is always much to learn. Recall Jesus’ conversation with Philip, when Philip asked him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied!” The Master’s reply is surprising: “Have I been with you all this time, and yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:8–9). This reminds us of the contemplative dimension of ongoing formation.  Knowing Christ undoubtedly happens through a solid initial formation, with the personal guidance of formators; it involves adherence to the programs of your dioceses, congregations, and institutes; and it involves serious personal study, so that you may enlighten the faithful entrusted to you, saving them above all from the dangerous illusion of superstition. However, formation is much broader. It concerns the unity of our inner life, care for ourselves and for the gift of God we have received (cf. 2 Tim 1:6), by drawing on literature, music, sports, the arts in general, and above all, prayer of adoration and contemplation. Especially in moments of discouragement and trial, “How good it is to stand before a crucifix, or on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply to be in his presence! How much good it does us when he once more touches our lives and impels us to share his new life!” (Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 264). Without this contemplative dimension, we no longer live in conformity with the Gospel, nor do we reflect the power of the Resurrection.

“Modern man,” said Saint Paul VI, “listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen 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 driving force behind our own faithfulness. A faithfulness that is fostered by the unity of priests with their bishop and with their brother priests, and of consecrated men and women with their superiors and among themselves. Dear brothers and sisters, nurture fraternity among yourselves with frankness and transparency. Do not give in to arrogance and self-centeredness, do not detach yourselves from the people, especially the poor, and shun the pursuit of privileges.  For your fidelity—and thus for your mission—the priestly or religious family is indispensable, but so too is the family into which we were born and raised. The Church holds the institution of the family in high esteem, teaching that the home is the place where all of its members are sanctified. For many of you, certainly, the cradle of your vocation was your family, which embraced and nurtured the sprouting of the special call you received. To your family members, therefore, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for having cared for, supported, and protected your vocation. At the same time, I urge them to always help you to remain faithful to the Gospel and not to seek personal gain from your ecclesial service. May they support you with their prayers and inspire you with the good counsel of a father and a mother, so that you may be holy and never forget that, in the image of Jesus, you are servants of all.

Finally, your loyalty to Angola — as it should 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.  You did this by standing at the side of people who were suffering, by building and rebuilding and by proposing paths and solutions to end the armed conflict.  Your contribution is widely recognized and appreciated.  But this responsibility is not over!  I encourage you to promote a renewed sense of reconciliation by educating everyone in the ways of peace and valuing the harmonious witness of those brothers and sisters in your midst who, after enduring painful trials, have been able to forgive. Rejoice with them and celebrate peace!

Furthermore, in the words of Saint Paul VI, do not forget that “development is the new name of peace” (Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 87).  It is therefore essential that, while interpreting current events with wisdom, you never cease to denounce injustices, offering solutions in accordance with Christian charity. Continue to be a generous Church, cooperating in the integral development of your country. For this reason, everything you have accomplished in the fields of education and health care has been and remains crucial.  In this sense, when difficulties arise, remember the heroic witness of faith given by Angolans—men and women, missionaries born here or coming from abroad—who had the courage to give their lives for this people and for the Gospel, preferring death to betraying the justice, truth, mercy, charity and peace of Christ.  Starting with every Eucharist, you too, dear friends, are the body offered and the blood shed for the life and salvation of your brothers and sisters.  The Virgin Mary, Mamã Muxima, is always at your side.  May God bless you and make your commitment and mission fruitful!