“Church needs deep thinkers, not superficial minds”: Angolan Archbishop Urges Seminarians to Pursue Spiritual Grounding

“Church needs deep thinkers, not superficial minds. Priestly vocation requires constant discernment in a world marked by complex questions about family, education, justice, peace, and the meaning of human life,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of Luanda continued, “It is important that the day begins and ends with prayer… that we listen to God in Scripture… and bring Him our desires, hopes, joys, sufferings, and gratitude.”

Archbishop Dias emphasized that spiritual life cannot be reduced to occasional devotion, but must become a continuous relationship with God that shapes all pastoral activity.

He also underscored the importance of silence and interiority, describing the two as essential in an age overwhelmed by information and distractions.

“When the Lord speaks of praying always, He does not ask us to be constantly praying with words, but to always maintain an interior contact with God,” he explained.

The seminary, the Catholic Church leader said, must serve as a privileged space for forming the habit of reflection, integrating study, prayer, and service into a coherent way of life.

He encouraged Seminarians to fully embrace their formation period as a time to deepen their relationship with God and to strengthen their human and spiritual foundations.

“Only Priests who are interiorly solid will be able to respond effectively to the pastoral demands of the 21st century,” Archbishop Dias said.

He also expressed gratitude to formators, teachers, staff, and benefactors who support the seminary’s mission, noting their key role in vocational formation.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Major Seminary currently hosts 191 Seminarians from Dioceses in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, studying philosophy, theology, and propaedeutics.