Mozambique's archbishop condemned the attack on a Catholic mission in Cabo Delgado province

Archbishop Inácio Saure, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Mozambique, expressed deep sorrow and strongly condemned the recent attack on the Catholic mission of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort in the province of Cabo Delgado. The incident, which occurred in late April, resulted in the near total destruction of the region’s religious and social infrastructure, including a church and a school.

According to Vatican News, militants burned down the parish church, missionaries’ living quarters and a community school in an attack on a mission in the diocese of Pemba. Founded in 1946, the mission has important historical significance for the evangelization of the region. Archbishop Saure described what happened as “barbaric destruction” and noted that the attackers openly spread slogans imbued with hatred against Christians.

In his address, the head of the episcopate emphasized that such actions undermine the foundations of Mozambican society and contradict the traditions of peaceful coexistence between different faiths. “The God of Abraham, the God of Mohammed and the God of Jesus Christ is not a God of hatred and violence, but a God of love,” the hierarch said, calling for an end to religious extremism. He also emphasized that Muslims are “beloved brothers” to Catholics and condemned both anti-Christian sentiment and Islamophobia.

The conflict in Kabu Delgado province, linked to extremist groups, has been ongoing since 2017, resulting in a humanitarian crisis and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Catholic youth representatives of the Archdiocese of Nampula also expressed concern about the situation, urging the faithful to remain hopeful and pray for those affected by the violence. In the face of ongoing instability, the Catholic Church in Mozambique reaffirms its commitment to interreligious dialogue and the defense of human dignity.