By Paschal Norbert

MAPUTO, JULY 25, 2025 (CISA)- Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rt. Rev. Osório Citora Afonso IMC, the auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Maputo as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane, Mozambique, freeing him at the same time from the Titular See of Putia in Numidia.

The 53-year-old bishop designate and a member of the Consolata Missionaries from Mozambique until his appointment was also serving as the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique.

Upon installation, he will become the fourth bishop of the diocese, which has been vacant since August 11, 2023, when the incumbent local ordinary Bishop Hilário da Cruz Massinga, O.F.M., was transferred from the diocese and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Inhambane by Pope Francis.

Bishop Osório Citora Afonso was born on May 6, 1972, in Ribaue, Nampula, Mozambique. On June 17, 2001, he gave his solemn vows at the Consolata Missionary Institute in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). After completing his studies at the Christ the King Seminary in Matola, Mozambique, he studied philosophy at the St. Augustine Philosophical Seminary of Matola, and theology at the Institut Saint-Eugène de Mazenod in Kinshasa.

He was ordained a priest of the Consolata Missionaries on November 3, 2002. After ordination, he first served as parish vicar and bursar of St. Hilaire parish in Kinshasa (2002-2005) and regional counsellor for DRC (2005-2006).

After attaining a licentiate in sacred scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (2006-2010), he continued his studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2008-2009) and L’École Biblique et Archéologique of Jerusalem (2010-2011).

Bishop Afonso went on to hold the roles of member of the Board of the General House in Rome (2008-2010); local collaborator at the apostolic nunciature in Kinshasa (2011-2013); formator and bursar of the Theological Seminary of Kinshasa (2011-2013); superior of the Missionary Centre of the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto (2014-2016); superior of Casas Milaico in Treviso (2014-2016); regional counsellor for Italy – Treviso, Veneto (2016-2017); and formator in the International Theological Seminary of Bravetta, Rome (2016-2017).

He joined the Dicastery for Evangelization in 2017 as an official in the section for first evangelization and the new particular Churches. He is also known for championing the causes of sainthood of the martyred lay Mozambican catechists and the families ‘the Martyrs of Guiúa’ killed during the persecution of the Church on March 22, 1992, while they were participating in a formation course at the diocesan Catechetical Center of Guiúa, managed by the Consolata Missionaries.