GOMA, Congo (AP) — The remains of a Congolese customs worker who was killed for resisting a bribe and recently beatified by the Vatican were transferred from a public cemetery to a cathedral in Congo’s eastern city of Goma during a special Mass on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Catholic faithful gathered at Saint Joseph Cathedral to pay tribute to Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, who was kidnapped and killed in 2007 by unidentified assailants after he refused to allow rancid rice from neighboring Rwanda to be transported across the border.
The Vatican beatified Kositi during a ceremony in Rome. Pope Francis recognized him as a martyr of the faith late last year, setting him on the path to beatification and to possibly becoming Congo’s first saint. It fit Francis’ broader understanding of martyr as a social justice concept, allowing those deemed to have been killed for doing God’s work and following the Gospel to be considered for sainthood.
In the conflict-battered city of Goma, where years of war have increased both desperation and corruption, Kositi’s beatification has eased some of the pain caused by his death.
Some wore shirts and colorful traditional dresses with Kositi’s portrait and chanted. Others waved flags that read “martyr of honesty and moral integrity.”
Aline Minani, a close friend of Kositi, said the beatification was deeply meaningful to the local community.
“We now have a spokesperson, someone who can testify for us, who speaks on our behalf to God, so that we may experience the joy of the dream Floribert had: to see everyone gathered at the same table,” Minani said.
She described the ceremony as a moment of profound collective emotion: “We are all celebrating with a feeling of gratitude. There’s so much emotion for us, and it feels like there’s a glimmer of hope for our region and our country. Today, we are celebrating a Congolese Blessed from our own city, and that fills our hearts with joy.”
Marie Juudi, also present at the Mass, said she encourages young people in Goma and across Congo to follow Kositi’s example.
“He rejected corruption in order to save lives. Our country continues to struggle with development because of widespread corruption and dishonesty,” she said.
Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of Lubumbashi, who also serves as president of the Congolese bishops’ conference, called the beatification “a powerful wake-up call” for people to get involved in the fight against corruption.
He said it also carries a message of hope.
“No matter how serious the challenges are that we face today, we must build peace, and peace is something we must build together,” Muteba said.
Eastern Congo has been wracked by conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, that have killed millions since the 1990s.
The fighting escalated earlier this year when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced and seized Goma, followed by another strategic city, Bukavu.
Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance that includes the M23, was present at the Mass.
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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.
