By Paschal Norbert
GOMA, JULY 4, 2025 (CISA)- The mortal remains of Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui will be transferred from the cemetery to Saint Joseph Cathedral in Goma on July 8, 2025, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has announced.
The transfer will be marked by a solemn Mass of Thanksgiving in Goma, celebrating the life and sacrifice of the young Congolese layman who was beatified last month. Another Mass will also be held in Kinshasa at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Congo, presided over by Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, who paid tribute to Floribert’s memory, described by Pope Francis as a “martyr of honesty and moral integrity.”
Blessed Floribert, a member of the Sant’Egidio Community, was abducted on July 7, 2007, in Goma while serving as an inspector for the Congolese Control Office (OCC). He had reportedly refused to authorize the clearance of spoiled food products imported from Rwanda, an act of integrity believed to have led to his murder. His body was discovered two days later.
The diocesan phase of his beatification process, which began in March 2015, concluded on December 9, 2018. On November 25, 2024, Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the martyrdom “in hatred of the faith” of Floribert Bwana Chui, thereby paving the way for his beatification.
He was officially proclaimed Blessed on Sunday, June 15, 2025, during a solemn celebration held at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The beatification ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
His story has since resonated across the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond, particularly among young people and professionals facing ethical dilemmas in public service.
The tomb at St. Joseph Cathedral is expected to become a site of pilgrimage and reflection, offering the faithful a tangible connection to a modern martyr whose unwavering stand for truth cost him his life at just 26 years of age.
