Pope Leo’s address to bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women and pastoral workers
Parish of Our Lady of Fatima (Luanda) Angola – Monday, 20 April 2026
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First, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has worked and continues to work to spread the Gospel in Angola.
Thank you for your evangelization efforts in this country, for sowing hope in Christ in the hearts of our brothers and sisters, and for your charity to those in greatest need.
I would also like to thank you for your steadfast commitment to contributing to this nation’s progress 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.
I would particularly like to thank His Excellency José Manuel, the Archbishop of Saurimo, for his welcome on behalf of the Episcopal Conference.
It is my duty, as a representative of the universal Church, to acknowledge the Christian vitality that characterizes your communities. However, it is up to the Lord to reward you.
He never fails to keep His promises!
Jesus spoke these words to those who received them in faith and brought them to fulfillment:
“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 will fail to receive a hundred times as much now in this age… along with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30).
Dear friends,
The Lord knows how generously you embrace your vocation. He is not indifferent to all that you do for love of Him to nourish your people with the truth of the Gospel.
Therefore, it is worth opening your hearts completely to Christ!
You may be tempted to think that he wants to take something from you, or you may hesitate to let him take control of your life.
In such moments, remember that he takes nothing away and gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Open the doors to Christ wide, and you will find true life” (Benedict XVI, Homily for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry, April 24, 2005).
I would particularly like to address these words to the many young people in your seminaries and houses of formation.
Do not be afraid to say “yes” to Christ and model your lives entirely on his!
Do not fear tomorrow, for you belong completely to the Lord.
Following him in obedience, poverty, and celibacy is worth it.
He takes nothing away!
The only thing he takes from us is sin, which he takes upon himself.
Yes, you receive everything from him: this land, the family you were born into, Baptism, which 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 has granted you the joy of being his missionary disciples. He has given you the strength to overcome the snares of the evil one and the hope of eternal life.
All of this is a gift.
It is a gift that ennobles and makes you great; a gift that commits and empowers you.
The greatest gift is the Holy Spirit, poured into your hearts at baptism and conforming you in a special way to Christ for your mission.
He sent you forth so that you may build a free, reconciled, beautiful, and great Angolan society starting from the Gospel.
In this mission, the ministry of catechists is particularly important.
In Africa in particular, it is a fundamental expression of the life of the Church and can serve as an inspiration for Catholic communities worldwide.
St. Paul teaches “For all things are yours… and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:21).
Fifty years after your country’s independence, the words of the Apostle tell us that the present and future of Angola belong to you, but you belong to Christ.
All Angolans have the right to build up this country and benefit from it equitably. However, as disciples of the Lord, you have a duty to do so according to the law of charity.
Your identity as disciples of Jesus lies at the heart of your actions.
You must reflect his image, and no one else can do this in your place.
This is where your uniqueness lies!
As members of the Body of Christ, you are the salt and light of this land. Your gestures, words, and actions reflect his love and build communities from within, building them up for eternity.
Christ’s disciples are asked to remain closely united with him (John 15:1–8).
The rest will fall into place.
I know you are in the midst of a three-year pastoral plan with the motto, “Faithful disciples, joyful disciples” (Acts 11:23–26). This plan is dedicated to prayer and reflection on the ordained ministry and consecrated life. What paths is the Lord opening 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 persevere in proclaiming the good news of peace, especially in these times.
In the school of Christ, “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), there is always something new to learn. Remember Jesus’ conversation with Philip when Philip asked him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied!”
The Master’s reply was 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” (John 14:8–9).
This reminds us of the contemplative dimension of ongoing formation.
Knowing Christ happens through solid initial formation with the guidance of formators. It involves adhering to the programs of your dioceses, congregations, and institutes, as well as serious personal study so that you may enlighten the faithful entrusted to you and save them from the dangerous illusion of superstition.
However, formation is much broader.
It concerns the unity of our inner life and our care for the gift of God we have received (2 Timothy 1:6) by drawing on literature, music, sports, and the arts, especially prayer of adoration and contemplation.
In moments of discouragement and trial especially, “How good it is to stand before a crucifix or kneel before the Blessed Sacrament and simply be in his presence! How much good it does us when he touches our lives once more and impels us to share his new life!” (Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 264). Without this contemplative dimension, we no longer live in accordance with the Gospel nor reflect the power of the Resurrection.
St. Paul VI said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”
The faithfulness of Christ, who loved us to the end, is the true driving force behind our own faithfulness. This faithfulness is fostered by the unity of priests with their bishop and with their brother priests, as well as by the unity 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 or self-centeredness. Do not detach yourselves from the people, especially the poor. Shun the pursuit of privileges.
The priestly or religious family is indispensable for your fidelity—and thus for your mission—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 where all its members are sanctified.
For many of you, certainly, your family was the cradle of your vocation, embracing and nurturing the sprouting of the special call you received.
Therefore, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to your family members for caring for, supporting, and protecting your vocation.
At the same time, I urge them to help you remain faithful to the Gospel and not seek personal gain from your ecclesial service.
May they support you with their prayers and guide you with the wise advice of parents, so that you may live a holy life and never forget that, in the image of Jesus, you are servants of all.
Finally, your loyalty to Angola, as should be the case throughout the world, is particularly associated with the proclamation of peace today.
In the past, you have shown courage in denouncing the scourge of war.
You did so by supporting those who were suffering, by rebuilding, and by proposing solutions to end the conflict.
Your contribution is widely recognized and appreciated.
However, your responsibility is not over!
I encourage you to promote a renewed sense of reconciliation by teaching everyone to value peace and the harmonious example of those brothers and sisters among you who have been able to forgive after enduring painful trials.
Rejoice with them and celebrate peace!
Furthermore, as St. Paul VI said, “Development is the new name of peace” (Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 87).
Therefore, it is essential that you interpret current events with wisdom and never cease to denounce injustices by offering solutions in accordance with Christian charity.
Continue to be a generous church that cooperates in the integral development of your country.
For this reason, your accomplishments in education and healthcare have been and remain crucial.
When difficulties arise, remember the heroic witness of faith given by Angolans—men and women, missionaries born here or from abroad—who courageously gave their lives for this people and the Gospel, choosing death over betraying the justice, truth, mercy, charity, and peace of Christ.
In every Eucharist, you too, dear friends, become 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!
