INTRODUCTION

May I give my sincere acknowledgement to all of you, specially today that we are gathered here by the divine providence, because, I am sure ,it is the Lord himself who brought us together here in prayer. But my acknowledgements go beyond the boundaries of this house, because our assembly is larger than what our senses can perceive at this present moment: it is an assembly of all who throughout the country and throughout the word are in communion with the Mozambican Church, through the spirit of prayer, faith, fraternity and friendship, and even through the media . So, may I wish both those who are present and the ones who are not physically here, peace and good, just as our Father Francis did.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

May I take this opportunity, to give my acknowledgement, to the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II and commend him particularly far his solicitous pastoral concen for this local church and for the mozambican people. I also commend him for the trust he put on me far inviting me to collaborate with the other pastors in the pastoral challenge. I feel unworthy to receive this task but I am confident that the Lord, will guide me in his ways so that I may be able to give him the right answer.

May I take this opportunity to acknowledge his representative among us D. Peter Zurbriggen, the Apostolic Nuncio in Mozambique, whose kindness and presence here, comes once more to confirm his apostolic zeal far this local Church.

I would like to welcome all the distinguished invited guests:
His Excellency the president of Mozambique Mr. Joaquim Alberto Chissamo and other members of the government.

I also would like to give my acknowledgements to the Deputy Speaker of the Mozambican Parliament. I acknowledge all of you who are involved in the challenging mission of trying to give the right destiny to this nation in a particular way to the wellbeing of each citizen of the country, so that we may be a holy nation prospering in peace and harmony among other nations.

My sincere acknowledgements go to all the members of the Diplomatic body: all Ambassadors and representatives of various states, those who are physically here and those who should trave like to share in this joy with us but they tr ave been unable because of various circumstances. I commend al l of you for honouring us, and for being here together with this people to witness and celebrate our faith in Christ Jesus.

Thanks very much for your friendship and may the Lord bless you and our nations so that we may trave good, fruitful and prosperous relations.

May I give my acknowledgements to our Minister General, who is present among us, Fr. Giacomo Bini and his government, all who were, a few months ago, my companions in the office. Dear Minister General and the members of the General Difinitory, I am very delighted to welcome you here and I am sure it is a good opportunity of contact between you and this local church. This people took from your hands a collaborator in the work of animating the Order of Friars Minor which is found throughout the world. But may this experience teach you a lot in the Order so that you may understand better what has happened to me. I personally commend all the brothers of the Order for the trust they always put on me. It was a time for me to learn, and to grow up, especially through my intercultural experience.

My acknowledgements go to the Subsaharian Conference of our Order which is here represented by the following entities: South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (Ex-Zaire), Kenya and Zimbabwe. My gratitude for your presence here and the eight years of service which we had together. I encourage you to go on.

My acknowledgement goes also to our brothers with whom we share our faith the other churches, the Christian Council of Mozambique who came to his celebration to add our joy and at the same time to witness the ecumenical spirit that animates us and manifests our character.

I acknowledge too my elder brothers of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique; to his Eminence the Cardinal Alexandre Jose Maria dos Santos, Archbishop of Maputo, with whom I am going to serve this Church; to the president of the Episcopal Conference, his grace Francisco João Silota. To all of you goes my esteem for your wise way of guiding the people of God, the Church, through rough and painful ways. I would like to be enlisted in your School in order to learn the wise art of guiding the people through the ways of faith and of healthy humanity.

I salute the Archdiocese of Maputo: Its Clergy, Religious and its Laity, my collaborators from now. I stand before you animated by the ecclesiastical communion of service and spirit I am ready and willing to learn from you. The Diocese of Inhambane, in particular. Homoine Mission, had the task of initiating me into priesthood and from today onwards you will have the mission of initiating me into episcopal ministry. As I rely on you, may you rely on me too. Eminent Cardinal, our ways are being united once again in order to be one: here is that young franciscan whom you taught the first steps in the Franciscan life twenty six years ago, and now you are to teach him the episcopal steps. May the Lord bless our new adventure.

A filial acknowledgement goes to Xai-Xai Diocese, tl~e Missions of Manguze and Mandlakazi, to the outstation of Nguzene/Macupulane, my birthplace. I thank you for having begotten me spiritually and phisically. You laid the first foundations, the human, intellectual and christian foundations. I can not leave unmentioned the teacher-catechist Salomao Pedro Farela Chimusse, the great man of our motherland. To the christians of Xai-Xai Diocese go my thanks for all that they do in their own diocese as well as in this archdiocese of Maputo which still continues to rely on them.

My gratitude goes as well to Inhambane Diocese, especially to the people of llomoine Mission. They are the witnesses of my first days of priesthood, I learned from them how to be a priest. My thanks.

My acknowledgement go to the Portuguese Province of the Franciscan Order here represented by Fr. Arnaldo Taveira de Araujo, former missionary in our country. I thank the Custody of Mozambique here represented by its Custos Fr. Lucas Francisco Gololombe and by each brother present here. For all that you have been and are for me, my thanks; it was in tha Order that I received the spirit, of which, the franciscan life is the peculiar way of living that spirit. The merit of all what is happening today is yours. I rely on you in my new ministry and if l managed or tried to be a franciscan, even now I am, still determined to continue, so that in this way the Church may have in me that Pastor which she is looking for a faithful Pastor, with a name, face, colour and taste.

Finally I thank all who engaged themselves in organizing the event that we are experiencjng today, the great feast. Either in various cornmittees or individually, all have been, the promotors of our joy today. And this shows and testifies a mature Church of people who work united. May God bless you.

BRIEF MESSAGE TO THE FAMILIES

Many Families in our days are undergoing through crises characterised by missunderstanding between parente and children. In fact the separation actually is gradually increasing.

It seems to me that these crises trave got there origin at hoJne, that means the place where men, and women are brought up. And if the environment is in crises what kind of men and women can we expect for the future? Or what sort of people can come from those homes?

Surely we should make an enquiry over this serious issue. If things go wrong in the family, among other reasons we must admit that our Philosophy of life does not work, which means that we should be corrected. Our philosophy of life seems to be seriously infected by sentimentalism that does not produce men and women able to face the challenges of our time.

The differences from one generation to another is a prejudice factor to justify the lack of union between parents and children. The parents feel descoraged and unable to guide their children; On the other side, the children think that their parents are so backward that represent a serious obstacle for their happiness. But let us remember that life is a continuous process that envolves past and present simultaneously. And there will be no future that does not depend on both past and present. For it's from the experience that we get the necessary wisdom to act efficiently.

Dear parents, ladies, gentlemen and young people, who formed the one who is being ordened today? Who formed the Priests, the Sisters, the Lawyers, the Leaders of the nations? For sure they did not educate themselves!

Therefore the parents that abdicate from their duty of educating their children are being unfaithful to their mission and at the same time refuse a better life for them. On the other hand, the children who refuse their parent's guidance are opting to go alone like a parrot without a cord.

Dear youth, do not try to have a father or a mother of your age and height; who will be running, jumping, shouting, dreaming and agreeing always with you in everything, for such a father or a mother could not give anything you really need to become a man or a woman of today or of tomorrow.

Parents and children, Iet us go back home and regain the lift that we trave lost on the road.

To all of you I wish peace and good will,and may the Lord bless you all.