After spending nearly twenty years in Africa, Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa is returning to his homeland of Brazil after being appointed to a diocese there by Pope Francis. ACN had worked closely with the bishop to provide humanitarian aid to the people of northern Mozambique. Bishop Lisboa reflects on his time in Africa.

By ACN Staff

Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa spent almost 20 years in Africa. The first fourteen years as a priest and then six as the Bishop of Pemba. Bishop Lisboa has now returned to his homeland of Brazil to head the Diocese of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim. When speaking with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Lisboa said that he greatly valued his time in Africa:

“My time in the diocese of Pemba was a great apprenticeship for me. I had always wanted to work in Africa as a missionary, and God granted me this grace.”

The last three years of the bishop’s time in Africa corresponded with him being a bishop in northern Mozambique while that part of the country was being torn apart by a terrorist campaign. This conflict has claimed the lives of 2,000 people and turned approximately 600,000 people into refugees, as violent Islamists try to establish an Islamic state in the north of Mozambique. The bishop was at the forefront in helping provide for the needs of the refugees, ACN provided €100,000 in humanitarian assistance to help the diocese deal with the crisis.

Bishop Lisboa reflects on his experience of this human tragedy:

“It was an extremely searing experience, an experience of the cross, an experience of suffering…This war has helped me to learn many lessons. The most important of them is the greatness of these people, who are poor, but have a sense of profound solidarity. When I was there I witnessed many things, I heard many personal stories and saw many different situations and I realised just how much, even in poverty, we can help, we can share. During this time of war every family which wasn’t forced to flee took in one or two, or even three refugee families into their home, on the back porch, and shared the little they had with those who had nothing at all and had been wandering, desperate and directionless. So now I believe that this experience of the people of Cabo Delgado will stay with me for ever.”

Bishop Lisboa took the Church’s mission very seriously and always wanted to be an advocate for the vulnerable in the world. For this reason he was a constant advocate for the people in his diocese, bringing the great suffering in northern Mozambique to the attention of the Church in other parts of the world. It was surprising when Pope Francis announced his decision to move Bishop Lisboa back to his native Brazil. The bishop was more than willing to go where the Holy Father wish send him:

“The mission is of God, it is not ours. We are simply the instruments of God. Within the Church, one of the characteristics of the missionary, and especially of the religious – for I myself am also a religious – is itinerancy. We are never fixed in one place, but are transferred wherever the Church needs us, wherever God sends us, which is why we must always be ready to dismantle our tent and set it up again elsewhere. And at this time Pope Francis has considered it better that I should go and work in another place. I accept and I thank him for all the support that he has given us, for all the commitment he has shown and all the concern he has felt and continues to feel for Cabo Delgado, because in addition to praying for them, he wishes to go on helping this people”.

Bishop Lisboa wished to pass on to ACN’s supporters:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank ACN for all the years of collaboration and all the help you have given our diocese. Thanks to ACN and its co-workers, we have been given cars for our missionaries, help for the formation of our priests and seminarians, for spiritual retreats, basic support for our religious sisters and – now during this time of war – help to feed the displaced populations and projects for supplying agricultural tools and equipment for the refugees… Plus various other projects still in progress! During this time of war ACN has helped us greatly with a number of little projects that have enabled our missionary personnel to work and bring relief to the victims of this war.”

ACN wishes the best to Bishop Lisboa in his work at his new diocese. We pray that Holy Spirit continues to guide Bishop Lisboa and all the clergy as they minister to God’s People.