“Life is not easy”: Catholic Bishop Urges Government Action Over Rising Poverty and Youth Exodus in Angola

The Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp./Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans) warned that the worsening social crisis in Angola is eroding family values and driving some people to desperate measures.

Bishop Camuto also expressed concern about the human cost of poverty, noting that some people have turned to crime while others have fallen into profound despair.

“There are brothers who even take their own lives because they can no longer endure the misery that dwells in many families, without a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

The Catholic Bishop faulted what he described as the lack of effective responses to Angola’s social challenges and called for policies that directly address poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion.

“Those in power must move from speeches to deeds,” he said, insisting that citizens need real solutions rather than political propaganda.

Bishop Camuto also denounced scenes of extreme poverty in a nation blessed with abundant resources.

“It pains our hearts to see brothers rummaging through garbage in order to find something to eat. Yet we are in a rich land, a fertile land,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader issued an appeal to public authorities, urging them to move beyond political rhetoric and implement practical solutions capable of restoring dignity and hope to struggling citizens.

“We appeal to those who govern to be more attentive, more sensitive and pragmatic, more compassionate toward all those who suffer, who go hungry, who need food,” he said.

While acknowledging the gravity of the situation, the Local Ordinary of Caxito encouraged Christians not to lose hope. Drawing inspiration from St. John the Baptist, he urged the faithful to become agents of change and defenders of the poor.