Bishop of Quelimane, Mozambique, shot dead at his residence

The Catholic Church in Mozambique is mourning the death of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of Quelimane, who was found shot dead at his residence in the early hours of June 6.

"His body was found in a corridor of the episcopal residence," pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need said in a June 6 press release. "The perpetrator of the crime remains unknown."

In a statement sent to ACN, Archbishop Inácio Saúre of Nampula, president of the Mozambique bishops' conference, said that the prelate was found "lifeless and in strange circumstances that have yet to be clarified," and appealed for "the serenity of faith and fraternal solidarity" from all in the face of this "sad event."

Citora Afonso, a Consolata missionary, was allegedly shot in the chest, near the heart, ACN said.

The news has left the church in Mozambique "in a state of shock." Archbishop Saúre said in his statement he received the news "with profound sorrow."

The president of Mozambique also issued a statement expressing his "deep sorrow and consternation" at the news of the bishop's death.

President Daniel Chapo described the loss as "irreparable" for Mozambican society and for the Christian community, noting that Bishop Citora Afonso had "distinguished himself throughout his life by his humility, pastoral dedication, and his preaching of the values of peace and reconciliation."

Citora Afonso, 54, had also been appointed apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Beira, replacing Archbishop Cláudio Zunna, who had resigned April 10 for health reasons.

The murder of the bishop "adds yet another dark cloud over the Church in Mozambique," ACN said, as the country already grapples with "terrorist violence in the north of the country, particularly in Cabo Delgado Province."

CISA News Africa reported that the murder brought "to an abrupt end the life and ministry of one of Mozambique's most promising Church leaders."

The attack comes only a month after a Catholic church in northern Mozambique was targeted in an attack by the Islamic State group that has carried out attacks against Christians and Muslims in the country since 2017.

Extremists attacked the historic St. Louis de Montfort Church in Meza, a town located in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, on April 30.

In April, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated that the Islamic State-Mozambique "has carried out a sustained campaign of violence against both Christian and Muslim communities" since 2017.