Angola’s Catholic bishops said this Wednesday that Angolans risk becoming accustomed to and adapting to poverty, bemoaning the socio-economic degradation of family life in the country.
“The list of socio-economic problems that challenge, distress and stifle the lives of citizens and families is well known and has been properly identified. Reports from dioceses and studies of our social reality well illustrate this situation; the lives of families and citizens are not easy,” said the President of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST), José Manuel Imbamba.
The Angolan archbishop considered that this situation was caused by a deep ethical crisis, calling on citizens, public and private managers and politicians to examine their conscience.
“I am convinced that everything bad that we live and experience is caused by a deep ethical crisis,” said José Manuel Imbamba, speaking at the opening of the 1st plenary meeting of the CEAST bishops of this year, which began this Wednesday in the Angolan province. Malanje.
According to the Catholic prelate, society in this environment is experiencing an era of fragmentation of consciousness in relation to ethical guidelines: “We no longer have an axiological basis for social unity, as in traditional society.”
“The awareness of evil, injustice and sin suddenly disappears, it no longer bothers us, the sense of honor and dignity no longer corresponds to our profile, selfishness or individualism overshadows and banishes the sense of the common good,” he noted.
On the other hand, the House of Imbamba said that the fragmentation of consciousness regarding ethical principles has reached “a demeaning and irresponsible level that leads to corrosion, cronyism, nepotism, bonhomie, clubism, and vandalism and destruction of public assets.”
The CEAST president also said that domestic production “remains limited,” price speculation on basic products continues to rise, dramatically affecting the purchasing power of citizens, Angolan companies continue to choke and many die “due to a lack of ethics.”
Citizens are “losing respect for institutions, politics no longer seeks the good of the citizens but rather of the activists; in short, due to a lack of ethics, religion has become commerce and many churches have become spaces of debauchery, violence and bewilderment,” he criticized.
“This is our biggest and most dangerous disease, which is slowly eating us away from the inside,” he noted.
The priest argued that the country must place “a big bet” on ethics applied to the public service as a tool of control, striving for ethical management of the public service so as not to fall “into discredit and inertia, always repeating the same thing.” mistakes that create suffering, hunger, injustice, dissatisfaction and despair.”
“Ethical management of the public service will transform us into serious, honest and responsible citizens and employees, exemplary, balanced, competent, committed and impartial, capable of guaranteeing a good level of implementation of public policies intended by the executive branch, and with a high sense of belonging and the state,” concluded Jose Manuel Imbamba.
The first annual plenary meeting of CEAST bishops runs until March 4, and its agenda includes religious and social issues.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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