Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Thursday, 10 July 2025
Goma (Agenzia Fides) – Less than a month after the beatification ceremony at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, the mortal remains of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi were transferred from the city cemetery to a chapel dedicated to him within the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Goma.It was an intense moment of faith for the local Catholic community: more than 6,000 people attended a Mass in the square in front of the shrine, presided over by Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of Lubumbashi, President of the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of Congo (CENCO). Eleven bishops and about 200 priests concelebrated with him.Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi on November 28, 2024. And in Goma, a war-torn city where years of conflict have exacerbated social hardship, the news of the beatification and the ceremony of transferring the remains to the Shrine acted like a healing balm.Some worshipers wore colorful traditional shirts and dresses bearing the blessed’s portrait. In his homily, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu described the recognition of the martyrdom and the beatification ceremony as a “powerful wake-up call” for the entire Congolese society, which “must commit itself to the fight against corruption.”Floribert was employed in the Goma office of the Congolese Control Office (OCC) in Goma, the public body responsible for controlling the quality, quantity and conformity of goods. Quality control consisted of verifying the conformity of products with national and international regulations, through physicochemical and microbiological analysis of the samples taken.In the course of his duties, he opposed the passage of a shipment of spoiled rice from Rwanda, destined for the Congolese market, with serious consequences for the health of consumers. Despite offers of bribes from crooked traders, Floribert stubbornly refused to let the cargo pass. The offers of money then turned into threats, but the young civil servant did not give in.On July 7, 2007, unknown assailants forced him into a car. On July 9, his lifeless body was found in a vacant lot not far from the scene of the kidnapping. It was established that Floribert was tortured and beaten before being killed. Known for his devotion to God and the Catholic Church, Floribert Bwana Chui was linked to the Community of Sant’Egidio. He distinguished himself by his religious fervor and his desire to live daily according to the teachings of the Gospel. His sacrifice is compared to that of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, another Congolese martyr beatified in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.For Congolese society, the Archbishop said, Floribert’s story is “also a message of hope.” He therefore appealed to the commitment of all believers to peace: “No matter how great the challenges we face today, we must build peace, and we must build it together.”Aline Minani, a friend of the Blessed, was also present at the ceremony. Speaking to the local press on the sidelines of the celebrations, she said: “All of this has profound meaning for the local community. What we are celebrating here can be a glimmer of hope for our region and our country.”The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is the scene of a war in which more than 100 armed groups are now involved. Clashes escalated at the beginning of this year, when the M23 movement captured the cities of Goma (see Fides, 27/1/2025) and Bukavu (see Fides, 17/2/2025). (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)
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