Newsroom (06/28/2025, Gaudium Press) During a pastoral visit to parishes in Dala, Archbishop Jose Manuel Imbamba of Saurimo denounced the growing presence of superstitious practices, which he described as “destructive for families, divisive for communities, and an obstacle to development”.
“We found people whose honor and dignity were destroyed. I appeal to the authorities and jurists of this country to urgently criminalize fortune tellers in our land,” Archbishop Imbamba told reporters.
The Archbishop presides over the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST). He lamented the rootedness of superstition in various sectors of society, appealing for a cultural transformation.
“We must free ourselves from myths and falsehoods that make us believe that death is always caused by someone. Our society must become a society of knowledge, science, and reason,” he declared.
In criticizing the belief in mystical and ritual objects as a source of power, Bishop Imbamba said, “We can no longer fall into the trap of thinking that a doll or an object gives us life, wealth or fame. This old-fashioned mentality has to be fought”.
The Archbishop also expressed concern about the participation of educated people in these practices. He said, “Those so-called doctors and graduates who still cling to these superstitions are not truly freed from the darkness of ignorance. They remain culturally enslaved”.
Recalling a case that occurred in the province of Moxico, Bishop Imbamba denounced the actions of one of these individuals. This person went from house to house demanding money. They claimed to be looking for sorcery. “They are often accomplices who place suspicious objects in people’s homes to validate false accusations,” he said.
“It is unacceptable that the authorities attend impassively to this type of action, which disturbs peaceful citizens and violates private property in the name of fetishism. This has to stop,” he stressed.
Bishop Imbamba has headed the Archdiocese of Saurimo since 2011. He has advocated reform of cultural practices that favor such behavior.
“This problem is often treated as part of customary law, but we have to reform customs. Culture must liberate, not oppress.”
And he concluded with an appeal to the State: “The authorities have to sit down and say: our jurists must criminalize this. Because the violations that are being committed are indescribable”.
With information from Vatican News. Translated by Gaudium Press.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
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