“A source of pride”: Catholic Bishop on Upcoming Beatification of DR Congo’s “martyr of honesty, moral integrity”

At the June 9 press conference, Bishop Ngumbi said that “since Pope Francis authorized the beatification of Floribert Bwana Chui, he no longer belongs only to the Catholic Church; he no longer belongs only to the Church of Goma; he becomes a heritage of the world. He becomes a model for humanity, for having lived by values” of the Gospel.

The Congolese Catholic Bishop added, “Whether we are Muslim, Catholic Christian, Protestant, or part of revival churches, we should all be proud to have known this young man who has become a model for our society here in Goma and the whole world.”

Born on 13 June 1981 in the city of Goma, the Servant of God Floribert Bwana Chui was reportedly abducted and martyred in the same Congolese city on 8 July 2007 for standing up against corruption. 

He hailed from a wealthy family studied law and economics. As a student, Bwana Chui joined the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Rome-based lay Catholic association dedicated to the provision of social services and arbitrating conflicts. He volunteered to reach out to street children.

He started off his professional life in DRC’s capital city, Kinshasa, as a Claims Officer at the customs and goods control agency, the Congolese Control Office (OCC). His duty was to evaluate products crossing the DRC Eastern border.

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He had to handle a moral dilemma, that of allowing contaminated food imported from neighbouring Rwanda and without proper documentation and authorisation for sale entry into DRC. 

Testimonies about Bwana Chui have indicated that he “preferred to die rather than allow through food that could harm many people.”

He refused to be bribed and reportedly went on to destroy the expired rice. And for his honesty and moral integrity, he was abducted and then murdered, according to witnesses, who recalled that he was fond of saying, “Money will disappear quickly. And what about those who would have consumed these products?”

Some witnesses have recalled Bwana Chui posing and affirming, “Do I live for Christ or not? That is why I cannot accept. It’s better to die than accept this money.”

Reflecting on his stance that resulted in his martyrdom during the June 9 press conference, Bishop Ngumbi said that Bwana Chui was murdered “under horrific conditions sometime between Saturday, July 7 (2007), the day of his abduction, and Monday, July 9, 2007, the day his body was found.”

“To this day, we still do not know who his real killers are. It is believed they were likely linked to business operators who had offered him a bribe at the time to allow spoiled goods to pass through the border. It is certain he was killed for refusing corruption, in the name of his faith and love for the Congolese people,” he added. 

The Congolese Catholic Church leader lauded Bwana Chui’s “sense of responsibility and honesty” and explained, “He did not want compromise; he rejected corruption. He was a man of character.”

“All these values accompanied him throughout his life. He lived them in an ordinary way, bearing witness to the Christian faith he received at Baptism and that was confirmed during the Sacrament of Confirmation,” Bishop Ngumbi said. 

He confirmed the participation of a delegation from DRC at the June 15 Beatification Mass, including Catholic Bishops, the Clergy, women and men Religious, and the Laity. Government officials and representatives of Sant’Egidio Community will also be in attendance. 

Meanwhile, a Thanksgiving Mass for the Beatification of the Servant of God Bwana Chui has been scheduled to take place in Goma on July 8, the 18th anniversary of his martyrdom.

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The remains of Bwana Chui are to be transferred from the Kanyamuhanga cemetery to a place, where pilgrims can access with ease for prayers. “This step will be followed by a procession and then Mass at Goma Cathedral Parish,’ Bishop Ngumbi said during the June 9 press conference. 

The June 15 Beatification of Bwana Chui will see him become the fourth blessed in DRC after Sr. Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta from the Diocese of Wamba, layman Isidore Bakanja from Mbandaka-Bikoro Archdiocese, and Fr. Albert Joubert from the Diocese of Uvira, who was beatified in August 2024 alongside three Xaverian missionaries in Eastern DRC.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.