AFRICA/ANGOLA - Angolan Bishops thank the Holy Father for his visit to Angola and encourage the faithful to place his teachings in practice

Luanda (Agenzia Fides) - “Thank you, Holy Father! Thank you for coming to visit us! Thank you for your expressions of love and affection! Thank you for your words of encouragement!” write the Bishops of Angola and Sao Tome in their message issued at the end of their Plenary Assembly, which they held shortly after Benedict XVI's visit to Angola (March 20-23).
“His Holiness has given Angola, and all of Africa, special attention and has left a lasting message in our hearts,” the Bishops say, recalling the words of Benedict XVI upon his arrival in the Luanda Airport: “I would like everyone to know, however, that I keep very much in my heart and in my prayers Africa in general and the people of Angola in particular.”
In recalling the words of the Holy Father in Angola, the message highlights the appeal made by Benedict XVI in promoting women: “We must therefore recognize, affirm and defend the equal dignity of man and woman: they are both persons. Man and woman are both called to live in profound communion. However, acknowledgment of the public role of women should not however detract from their unique role within the family. The presence of a mother within the family is so important for the stability and growth of this fundamental cell of society, that it should be recognized, commended and supported in every possible way.”
The Bishops exhort the faithful to place Benedict XVI's teachings in practice: “We have received words of a Father and Pastor in the Pope's words, and they have entered our hearts. However, we should not only listen, but we should also put his words into practice. Let us accept the challenge to continue doing all we can to make Angola a country of peace, reconciliation, and a place where solidarity is always lived with the certainty that “every just human act is hope in action” (Papal Address to the President of the Republic).
The Bishops of the CEAST (Bishops' Conference of Angola and Sao Tome) also express their joy at the erection of the new Diocese of Namibe and the appointment of its first Bishop Mateus Tomas, and affirm their commitment to the evangelization of the culture and the mass media, to the defense of human life and the value of marriage, and to accompanying the priests and helping them to live their ministry as an authentic path to holiness.
Lastly, the message recalls the Synod for Africa in October, inviting the faithful to unite themselves to the Pope in praying for the Synod. “We hope that the issues addressed in the Synod regarding justice, reconciliation, and peace in Africa, may be focus of study and reflection in every diocese, parish, and apostolic movement, in accordance with the plan prepared by each diocese. Only in this participation of all people on all levels, will the Synod truly be a living expression of the Church in Africa,” the message concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 7/4/2009)