By Paschal Norbert
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 19, 2025 (CISA) – Pope Leo has praised the life and witness of Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, a young Congolese layman martyred for his unwavering stance against corruption, calling him a model of integrity and peace for young people across Africa. The Pope’s heartfelt message came a day after Floribert was beatified in a moving ceremony at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
“Congolese martyr Floribert Bwana Chui shows how young people can be a leaven of peace—unarmed and disarming—and highlights the precious value of the witness of lay people. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and Blessed Floribert, may peace soon take root in Congo and all of Africa!” Pope Leo posted on his official X account on June 16, reflecting on the impact of Floribert’s sacrifice.
Floribert Bwana Chui was born in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in 1981. A devout Catholic and an active lay member of his parish, Floribert was known for his deep faith and commitment to justice. After earning a degree in law, he was appointed head of the Congolese Office of Foreign Trade in Goma. In this role, he resisted pressure to approve the entry of spoiled food into the country. In July 2007, after days of threats and intimidation, he was abducted and killed for refusing to compromise the safety and dignity of his people. He was only 26 years old.
Floribert’s beatification on June 15, 2025, was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. In his homily, Cardinal Semeraro praised Floribert’s courageous witness, describing him as “a martyr of integrity and justice, a young man who stood firm against evil, rooted in his faith and commitment to the common good.” The ceremony was attended by pilgrims from the DRC and around the world, , the Sant’Egidio Community of which he was a member, and many of them youth inspired by Floribert’s moral courage and example.
Blessed Floribert now stands as a shining figure in the Catholic Church’s call for ethical leadership, particularly in Africa where the Church continues to champion the fight against corruption and the promotion of peace. His beatification affirms the value of lay witness in public life and offers a powerful testimony to the Gospel lived in truth and service.
As Pope Leo emphasized, Blessed Floribert’s life is a testament that holiness is possible in everyday roles, and that young people can be “unarmed and disarming” in their pursuit of peace and justice.
Pope Leo: “Floribert Had a Dream – and He Lived for It”
In a deeply moving audience on the morning of June 16, held in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo personally addressed pilgrims from the DRC, including Floribert’s mother and relatives, bishops from Congo, and members of the Sant’Egidio Community, to which Floribert belonged.
“I welcome you with joy, after the beatification of Floribert Bwana Chui,” Pope Leo said warmly. Reflecting on the young martyr’s heroism, he quoted Pope Francis’s previous words during his 2023 visit to Kinshasa: “A young person like yourselves, Floribert Bwana Chui … was killed in Goma for having blocked the passage of spoiled foodstuffs … he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption. That is what it means to keep your hands clean. … To be honest is to shine like the day.”
Pope Leo then delved deeper into what sustained Floribert’s moral strength: “The choice to keep his hands clean, he was a customs official, matured in a conscience formed by prayer, listening to the Word of God, and communion with his brothers.”
The Pope praised Floribert’s commitment to the poor, especially street children driven to Goma by war: “He loved them with Christ’s charity: he was interested in them and concerned with their human and Christian formation.”
Floribert’s spiritual foundation, rooted in the values of prayer, the poor, and peace, embodied the Sant’Egidio Community’s charism and guided his vision of a more just world.
Quoting Floribert’s own words, Pope Leo said: “The Lord is preparing a new world, where there will be no more war, hatred will be wiped out, violence will no longer appear like a thief in the night … children will grow up in peace. Yes, it is a great dream. Let us not live, then, for what is not worthy. Rather, let us live for this great dream!”
The Holy Father concluded his address by reaffirming the importance of young African witnesses like Floribert: “This African martyr, in a continent rich in young people, shows how they can be a leaven for ‘disarmed and disarming’ peace. This Congolese layperson sheds light on the precious value of the witness of the laity and the young.”
