At least 20 young Angolans have not returned to the country since World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, the Angolan Catholic Church said this Monday, noting that until September they are still in good standing in Portugal.
“As for those who did not return, and there are about 20 of them, it is worth remembering that until September they have a regular visa, and with a regular visa everyone can return sooner or later,” said Angolan Bishop Belmiro Chissengeti. who coordinated the caravan from Angola to the WYD in Lisbon 2023.
According to the official, only after the expiration of the citizens’ visa can it be said that the Angolans who remained in Portugal “did not come and did not flee.”
“Because they still have time to get visas, they simply did not return with the delegation and may do so well in advance of the expiration of the visas,” he admitted.
At least 1,518 Angolans living in Angola and in the diaspora registered to participate in WYD Lisbon 2023, which was held from August 1 to 6, and 518 pilgrims set off from Luanda to meet with Pope Francis.
Bishop Belmiro Chissengeti, speaking at a press conference following the 2nd Annual Plenary Meeting of the Bishops of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST), confirmed that about 20 young people did not return to Angola.
According to the Catholic prelate, the urgent situation of this or that Angolan in Portugal “cannot cause any surprise”, because “he found the best conditions for work, the best quality of life.”
“Well, emigration is an integral part of the human condition, the search for better living conditions is part of the inconsistency of human life in relation to suffering and the constant search for better living conditions, which, not finding them in the place where you are looking for, where you can do it better,” stressed He.
He believed that these would not be the first Angolans to remain in Portugal, since, in his opinion, they “have a note that not only the poor are emigrating, but also [em Portugal] whole families looking for better living conditions, and that’s okay.”
“We call, first of all, for the correct emigration to be carried out, which, thanks to the employment opportunities offered, the conclusion of a good contract, the receipt of a visa on such conditions, so that subsequently you are not subject to the whims of employers,” the CEAST representative also concluded.
The II Annual Plenary Assembly of Bishops of CEAST was held from 23 to 28 August at its headquarters in Luanda.
At this conclave, the Catholic Bishops of Angola approved the pastoral message of the third year of the Children’s Triennium (2023-2024), entitled “Integration of the Child in Church and Society”, as well as a pastoral note on the social reality of Angola and Sao Tome.
They also approved a specific revision of the CEAST statutes, the statutes of the Rádio Ecclesia – Emissora Católica de Angola and the corresponding governing board, which will include Bishops António Francisco Jaca (President), António Lungyieki Pedro (Vice President). and Mauricio Camuto (1st vowel).
The new governing board of Angola Catholic Radio also included Father Augusto Epalanga (second member) and Edna de Carvalho (third member).