Bishop Osório Citora Afonso, the Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane, Mozambique, a country in southeastern Africa, was shot dead in the early hours of June 6 at the episcopal residence, according to an official statement from the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique sent to Aid to the Church in Need.
The bishop was shot in the chest, near the heart, and his body was found in a corridor of the residence, according to Aid to the Church in Need. The perpetrator remains unknown.
Archbishop Inácio Saure of Nampula, president of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, said the prelate had been "found lifeless and in strange circumstances that have yet to be clarified." Saure announced the death "with profound sorrow" and appealed for "the serenity of faith and fraternal solidarity" from the Catholic community and the Mozambican people.
The news left the Church in Mozambique "in a state of shock," according to Aid to the Church in Need.
Mozambique's Presidency of the Republic issued a separate statement expressing "deep sorrow and consternation" at the bishop's death. President Daniel Chapo described the loss as "irreparable" for Mozambican society and the Christian community, saying Bishop Osório had "distinguished himself throughout his life by his humility, pastoral dedication, and his preaching of the values of peace and reconciliation."
Bishop Osório, a Consolata missionary, had been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Beira in April, replacing Archbishop Cláudio Zunna, who had resigned for health reasons, according to Aid to the Church in Need.
The killing comes as the Church in Mozambique is already grappling with terrorist violence in the north of the country, particularly in Cabo Delgado Province, according to Aid to the Church in Need, which described Mozambique as a priority country for its aid efforts.