1. “Experience of democracy in Mozambique is shaky,” says Archbishop of Nampula, Archbishop Inácio Saure
The Archbishop of Nampula and President of the Mozambique Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Inácio Saure, said that the experience of democracy in Mozambique is shaky, since the transition of powers is a cause for dissatisfaction for people who, driven by personal or group interests, do not agree to share with others.
This makes him have reservations about the upcoming elections in 2023 and the general elections of 2024.
“How many religious or political leaders pass on power freely to their successors?” he asked during mass that marked the end of the pilgrimage of young people to the shrine of Rapale.
Saure went on to say that “when the elections approach, there are night visits to healers, hatreds are born, small opposition parties are created to derail the mandate of the other in our Christian communities”, and then question: “do we not know that in the church authority is service and who rules is the one who serves, the one who washes the feet of the brothers as Jesus taught us?”, recalling that “this is power and authority”.
Dom Inacio questions the motives of rulers who do not want to pass power to others, emphasising that authority is service and who rules is the one who serves the people and does not use the people. Quoting the words of Pope Francis, Dom Inacio says that we must learn to say goodbye. “Learn to say goodbye, say ready, I’m done with my term. Let it be so for politicians, too”, because the most important is the good of the people and not the honour, personal advantages, wages above the minimum wage of the common citizen who, too, is the son of God and was created “in the image and likeness of God, too, with the right to live in dignity”.
“In Africa leaders are like an old monkey. The old monkey, too, knows how to climb. He climbs up to the top of the tree, only when he climbs he looks down and is afraid to go down, he can’t do it anymore and glues himself there, he doesn’t want to go down. And you know what men do? They make him fall – this old monkey”, He urges the community to free itself from slavery, at a time when the country is celebrating the 47th anniversary of National Independence in 2022.
In the context of the country’s independence and of rulers who do not wish to pass on power, the Archbishop said it was paramount to involve youth in governance processes in all sectors of society. For Dom Inacio, the building of a
nation and the world consists of the three pillars, namely education, training and proper accompaniment to young people. While all serious investment is demanding and often failing, he said, investing in youth guarantees the future of church and society in the midst of various challenges.
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