By Paschal Norbert
ROME, JUNE 13, 202 5 (CISA)- On June 15, 2025, at the Arch Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy, the Catholic Church will beatify Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, a 26-year-old Congolese customs officer and member of the Community of Sant’Egidio, whose moral courage and Christian witness cost him his life. The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, marking the Church’s formal recognition of his martyrdom “in hatred of the faith.”
Floribert’s story is one of courage, conscience, and unwavering faith in the face of corruption. His heroism drew praise from Pope Francis, who, during his 2023 visit to Kinshasa, said: “I think of the witness given by a young person like yourselves, Floribert… only twenty-six years old, he was killed in Goma for having blocked the passage of spoiled foodstuffs that would have been harmful for people’s health. 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, he prayed. He thought of others, 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.”
The Roots of a Martyr
Born on June 13, 1981 in Goma, a city scarred by conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Floribert grew up amid unrest but remained deeply grounded in faith and service. During his university studies, he joined the Community of Sant’Egidio, where he devoted himself to the poor, especially the street children known locally as “maibobo.” He launched a School of Peace, believing in education and dignity as tools to shape the future of the Congolese people.
One such child was Jonathan, a homeless boy Floribert met after he arrived alone in Goma. Jonathan later recalled, “When I saw him for the first time, I was afraid. He was well dressed, and people like that don’t usually approach street kids… Then he started talking and invited me to what he called the School of Peace. I didn’t trust him, I didn’t want to go, I told him so. However, I was struck by his insistence. I wasn’t part of his family, but he came looking for me, asked me questions, cared about me.”
When Jonathan asked why he cared, Floribert replied, “Because in God’s eyes, we are all equal, we all have the same rights.”
An Ethical Stand in a Corrupt System
After earning a law degree, Floribert could have remained in Kinshasa, where opportunity abounded. Instead, he returned to Goma to be near his community and continue his mission. In April 2007, he began work as a damage control officer at the Office Congolais de Contrôle (OCC), a critical post at the Rwanda border, where he was tasked with inspecting goods entering the DRC.
Just three months into the job, Floribert encountered a moral test. He was ordered to allow a large shipment of spoiled rice from Rwanda into the market. Bribes escalated, $1,000, $2,000, and even more. He refused every offer.
He asked himself, “Is it dangerous for people’s lives to allow expired food to be sold?” He told Sr Jeanne-Cécile Nyamungu, a surgeon and friend, “The money will soon disappear. But what will happen to the people who eat those products? If I accept this money, am I living in Christ? Am I living for Christ? As a Christian, I cannot allow people’s lives to be sacrificed. I would rather die than accept that money.”
The Ultimate Sacrifice
On July 7,2007, as he left a shop in Goma, Floribert was kidnapped. His body was discovered two days later, bearing signs of torture. He had been killed on July 8, a date that has since become his liturgical feast day.
His tragic death shocked the community but also awakened a broader movement. Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, wrote in the foreword to Il prezzo di due mani pulite (The Price of Two Clean Hands): “It is a very sad story, which shows the power of corruption and the atmosphere of violence. Indeed, it is also the story of the ‘weak strength’ of a young man of faith. It points to the path of Africa’s resurrection, which begins with young people and lay people.”
From Local Hero to Blessed Martyr
The cause for beatification began in March 2015 in the Catholic Diocese of Goma and concluded its diocesan phase in December 2018. On November 25, 2024, Pope Francis authorized the decree recognizing Floribert’s martyrdom. His death, it was confirmed, was not only an act of civic duty but a testimony of Christian faith “in hatred of the faith.”
On June 15, 2025, the world will celebrate his beatification. The ceremony will bring together the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Congolese Church led by the Bishop of Goma, and faithful from around the globe. For the people of Congo, and especially the youth, Floribert’s story is more than an inspiring tale, it is a call to integrity, courage, and hope.
Floribert Bwana Chui stood tall when it mattered most. With clean hands and a clean heart, he gave his life so others could live. Now, the Church lifts him up as a Blessed Martyr, a light that will not go out.
