II International Biblical Symposium in Angola
The 2nd International Biblical Symposium on the theme "Animação bíblica da inteira pastoral", organised by the Episcopal Commission for Biblical Pastoral Ministry of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), which took place from 16 to 18 September in Luanda, came to an end.
The Second International Biblical Symposium, which brought together 280 participants, including diocesan representatives and international speakers, aimed to give continuity to the cycle of reflection initiated with the First International Biblical Symposium, in order to give consistency to the general concern of the Church as expressed in the Synod on the Word of God in 2008 and, above all, in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, n.73.
It was also the aim of the Symposium to motivate particular pastoral efforts to make the Word of God appear central in the life of the Church and to promote the insertion of biblical pastoral ministry in the dioceses and to align the activities of parishes, Christian communities, associations and movements with the personal encounter with Christ who communicates himself in his Word.
The II International Biblical Symposium featured four panels, three moments of public debate and an open-air Jubilee Eucharist in the Cathedral, Parish of St. Francis of Assisi, in the Diocese of Viana, presided over by the Archbishop of Saurimo and president of CEAST, D. José Manuel Imbamba.
The participants of the 2nd International Biblical Symposium concluded that there is a need for the continuing education of clergy, consecrated persons and laity in the dynamics of biblical pastoral ministry throughout the world, in Africa and in Angola, and to consider the continuity of the dissemination of the concepts and dynamics of historical studies, both in the area of the Hebrew culture, origin of the ecclesial communities, and in the area of the development of the Word of God - from orality to writing and from writing to orality, as was underlined at this 2nd Symposium.
D. Dionisio Hisilenapo, President of the Episcopal Commission for Biblical Pastoral Ministry, made it known that the Symposium is intended to be for Angola a moment of research and deep study of the Word of God. The prelate also stressed the need to strengthen the work in the communities of the various dioceses of the country.
The participants in the 2nd International Biblical Symposium recommended that the particular pastoral effort to make the Word of God appear in a central place in the life of the Church, a personal encounter with Christ who communicates himself to us in his Word, be continued, by disseminating the collection of documents and reflections contributed in this forum, so that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, consecrated to the celebration, study and diffusion of the Word of God, may continue to be observed, giving the various Communities their own ways of marking this Sunday with a certain solemnity.
Father Jan Stefanow, General Secretary of the Catholic Biblical Federation, one of the international guests at the Symposium, spoke about aspects of biblical pastoral ministry in the light of the Second Vatican Council.
Sister Elisabeth Corazza, a member of the organisation, gave a positive assessment of the event, which provided moments of updating on Bible research and study, as well as on methods of pastoral work and the living of the Word in community or in private.
Source: Vatican News
II International Biblical Symposium - Final Statement
The Episcopal Biblical Pastoral Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) organised, from 16 to 18 September, in Luanda, at the Largo das Escolas, Extensão da UCAN, the II International Biblical Symposium, under the theme "Biblical animation of the entire pastoral ministry" and the slogan "and the Word became flesh and came to live with us (Jn 1, 14a).
José Manuel Imbamba, Archbishop of Saurimo and President of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Monsignor Dionísio Hisiilenapo, Bishop of Moçâmedes and President of the Episcopal Commission for Biblical Pastoral Ministry, who gave the opening address and the words of welcome.
The II International Biblical Symposium, which brought together 280 participants, including invited guests, diocesan representatives and national and international speakers, had the following objectives:
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To respond to the general concern of the Magisterium of the Church, already expressed in the Second Vatican Council, concerning the need for all the faithful to have a clear access to the Word of God contained in Sacred Scripture (DV, n. 22);
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To respond to the call of the Synod on the Word of God, held in 2008 and, more explicitly, to the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini on the need to nourish all pastoral work with the Bible (VD n. 73);
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To continue the cycle of reflections begun with the Ist International Biblical Symposium;
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To encourage the promotion of Biblical Pastoral Care in the dioceses and to align the activities in parishes, Christian communities, associations and movements with the personal encounter with Christ who communicates himself through his Word (...)
