Mozambican Catholic Priest Urges Youth to Invest in Education, Build Financial Independence

Fr. Lafim Monteiro, a member of the Servites, urged young people to prioritize education and professional skills to achieve economic independence. Speaking during a Mass for the Zone VI Youth Festival at St. John the Baptist Fomento Parish in the Archdiocese of Maputo on October 10, he told attendees that intelligence and hard work provide the autonomy needed to avoid dependency on others.

Fr. Monteiro warned that seeking easy results or failing to commit to learning could jeopardize the future of the youth. He encouraged the young people to practice financial discipline and responsible resource management to build assets. He suggested that youth should be a period for accumulating resources to ensure security in adulthood and old age.

To achieve stability, Fr. Monteiro advised the youth to adopt saving habits and make responsible choices regarding their income. He noted that building prosperity requires the discipline to forgo certain immediate desires in favor of long term financial goals.