Nampula – The Archdioceses of Beira and Quelimane have new Apostolic Administrators. This was announced by the Apostolic Nuncio to Mozambique, Archbishop Luís Miguel Muñoz Cárdaba, during the funeral Mass celebrated on Friday, June 12, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Liberation in Quelimane for Bishop Osório Citora, IMC, who was assassinated on June 6. Pope Leo XIV appointed the current Bishop of Caia, Antônio Bogaio, as Apostolic Administrator of Beira, and the current Bishop of Alto Molocue, Estevão Ângelo Fernando, as Apostolic Administrator of Quelimane. The two bishops will be responsible for the two dioceses until the Pope appoints new bishops.
“Today you leave your mother Amélia for the Church, and we welcome her with love and gratitude. Thank you, Mother Amélia, for giving your son to God and his people. Osório now belongs not only to his family but also to the Church, which he faithfully served until the very end. Today you return to the Father’s House, but you leave in the heart of this Church the witness of a faithful pastor, a devoted missionary, and a man who lived for God and his brothers and sisters. Rest in peace, brother,” said the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Muñoz Cárdaba, who emphasized that they killed a man of peace, a missionary who believed in the goodness of people. “We should not be here today; we should not be celebrating this funeral. What happened should never have happened. Never before in the history of Mozambique has a bishop been murdered,” the Nuncio remarked, expressing his hope that “all the reasons for this violent death will certainly come to light. However painful they may be, we must not fear the truth. Freedom sets us free.”
The funeral Mass for Father Osorio, held on Saturday, June 13, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima in Nampula, was marked by a powerful appeal for peace and respect for human life. In his homily, Archbishop Inácio Saúre of Nampula described the murder of the Bishop of Quelimane as a barbaric act and stated that the case was part of a worrying wave of violence that continues to plague Mozambique. Before thousands of faithful and representatives of various authorities, Bishop Inácio Saúre reminded them that while the perpetrators took Bishop Osório’s life, they cannot extinguish his witness to the faith, his mission, and his service. The prelate also emphasized that the bishop’s death should serve as a warning to the entire society. It is not enough simply to investigate this case; rather, the root causes of violence and the culture of death in the country must be addressed.
The Archbishop of Nampula presented Bishop Osório as a pastor faithful to the Gospel, dedicated to peace, reconciliation, and the promotion of human dignity. Finally, he called for an end to the murders of valuable men and women and urged that this tragedy be used as a turning point in building a more just and peaceful society.
Among the messages of condolences from family members, Consolata missionaries, the Christian community, and authorities, the life of the Bishop of Quelimane was honored on behalf of the family as that of a man of faith, simplicity, humility, and devotion to the people of God. The Consolata missionaries highlighted Bishop Osório’s joy in life, his commitment to the communities, and his deep passion for the Word of God. The provincial government of Nampula, for its part, described him as a vital support for the entire Mozambican people and emphasized that his witness of charity, humility, and service will live on in the memory of the Church and society. The bishop’s family publicly expressed their profound sorrow and disappointment at the circumstances that led to the prelate’s tragic death. Close relatives described the case as a barbaric and cruel murder, sending a powerful and unequivocal message to the Diocese of Quelimane. With tears in their eyes and visible outrage, the family deeply lamented the violence with which Bishop Osorio’s life was so abruptly ended and thanked everyone for the institutional and community support they had received during these difficult days of mourning.
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