The global Catholic community is in mourning following the shocking assassination of a sitting bishop in Mozambique in the early hours of Saturday.
Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Catholic Diocese of Quelimane in Mozambique was found dead in his residence following a gunshot incident during the early hours of Saturday, June 6, 2026. He was 54 years old.
His body was found in a corridor of the episcopal residence, with the President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, Archbishop Inácio Saúre of Nampula, describing the circumstances as “lifeless and in strange circumstances that have yet to be clarified.”
According to the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) spokesperson Maximino Amílcar, an undetermined number of assailants gained entrance to the bishop’s residence and opened fire, striking Bishop Afonso in the chest. Investigative procedures have since been initiated to identify the perpetrators.
Bishop Afonso, born in Mozambique, served in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Italy, before becoming auxiliary bishop in Maputo in 2023. He was appointed Bishop of Quelimane in July 2025 by Pope Leo XIV.
He had recently been a vocal critic of escalating violence in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado Province, raising alarm in May 2026 over renewed Islamist insurgent attacks killing civilians and displacing thousands. “It is necessary to stop the violence so that our brothers do not continue dying like chickens,” he had declared during a pastoral visit weeks before his death.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo described the loss as “irreparable” for Mozambican society and the Christian community, noting that Bishop Afonso had distinguished himself through humility, pastoral dedication, and preaching the values of peace and reconciliation.
Investigations are ongoing. No group has claimed responsibility at the time of this report.
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