Floribert Bwana Chui is Blessed: a young African, witness of hope for the world

Floribert is the first African martyr killed because of corruption: his liturgical memorial has been set for 8 July, the day of his death. The beatification ceremony, held in Rome due to the precarious situation in Goma, his hometown, was presided over by Cardinal Semeraro and concelebrated by Monsignor Willy Ngumbi, Bishop of Goma, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, and numerous Congolese bishops.

Hundreds of representatives of the Community of Sant'Egidio from Congo and other African countries – including Benin, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal and Togo – came to Rome to participate in the beatification and were greeted by the Pope during the Angelus.

In his homily, Cardinal Semeraro remembered Floribert as "a young lay member of the Church in Goma and a responsible member of the Community of Sant'Egidio, He was totally open to the love that embraced him to the point of allowing himself to be moulded by it to the depths and make it the compass that oriented his choices. This is what appears from the testimonies collected about him: on every occasion in life, God was his reference. And that this was indeed the case is proven by the copy of his Bible, preserved in Rome, in the Sanctuary of the New Martyrs in St. Bartholomew on the Island, which shows traces of constant reading."

The cardinal then quoted a phrase from the blessed: “Everyone has the right to peace in their heart!” At a time marked by war and violence, when so many in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere seek peace, these words strike us more than ever. If today, in fact, we are celebrating his beatification here in Rome, as you know, it is because unfortunately there is a lack of security and tranquillity in Goma. Floribert, after all, hoped to be able to make a pilgrimage to Rome. This wish of his - in some way - is fulfilled spiritually with today's celebration."

‘Prayer, the poor, peace!’ he continued. "Our Blessed sought all this in the tense climate of his city. Among the testimonies collected, we read that he did not want war and that it was precisely with his commitment that he wanted to bring the young people of Goma together as a family. He therefore chose to share Sant'Egidio's commitment to peace, because - he said - “it puts all peoples at the same table”. He dreamed of being a man of peace and thus being able to contribute to the peace of his land, which he loved so much. Today, then, let us make our own his aspiration for a Congo in peace, gathered at the same table like a family.."

Floribert refused to give in to corruption, even when he could have easily made money by letting the illegal cargo pass. “Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist,” said the cardinal, “he asked himself, ‘If I do this, am I living in Christ?’ As a Christian,” he replied to himself, "I cannot accept sacrificing people's lives. It is better to die than to accept this money.”

The choice was decisive and cost him his life: ‘It is a grace at a dear price,’ commented Semeraro, ‘resistance to evil to the point of shedding blood.’ The cardinal also recalled the words of Pope Francis during his apostolic journey to Congo on 2 February 2023: "He could easily have turned a blind eye, no one would have found out, and he might even have gotten ahead as a result. But, since he was a Christian, and he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption. That is what it means to keep your hands clean and your heart clean too'. ’Through the intercession of this new Blessed, may the Lord grant the young people and all the believers of the Church in Congo, particularly in Goma, new strength in pursuing good, resisting evil. Encouraged by his example, may the Community of Sant'Egidio continue with freedom on the threefold path of prayer, the poor and peace. May the Lord grant us all the strength to cherish the message of Blessed Floribert, into whose heart God's love was poured by the Holy Spirit."

The ceremony concluded with a greeting from Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, who addressed the liturgical assembly in French, thanking Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV for the gift of the new Blessed. The Cardinal also expressed his affectionate gratitude to ‘Floribert's biological family’ - his mother and brothers were present - and to the ‘spiritual family’ of the Community of Sant'Egidio. (read all)

Following this, Andrea Riccardi expressed his gratitude: "I would first of all like to open with an affectionate thought, of gratitude, to the beloved Pope Francis, who recognised the martyrdom of the servant of God Floribert and who interpreted it in his memorable speech to the young people of Kinshasa. But how can we not be grateful to the Holy Father Leo XIV, who decreed the beatification of Floribert Bwana Chui. 
We are profoundly grateful to very grateful to Cardinal Semeraro, who has presided over this celebration with such participation and who has spoken so passionately about the life of the servant of God, making us discover new aspects of a story that is yet to be understood. A grateful thought goes to Floribert's family and his Congolese friends, who today wore the habit of martyrdom: a gesture that keeps alive the memory and bond with him. It was an intense celebration, which was full of prayer and hope for the Congo, but also of solidarity for its Church, so determined to seek peace and justice. This figure of Floribert has much to say in this time of conflicts and of the cult of strength and money.  His choice, silent but crystal clear, now has heroic value. That young man, killed in Goma in 2007, has become a guide for those seeking a strong and generous life. His testimony remains alive and speaks to everyone.(read all)