Vatican honours young Congolese martyr killed for rejecting corruption
Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, who worked in quality control in Goma, was abducted and killed after he rejected a bribe meant to allow spoiled rice to be transported from Rwanda into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A Congolese customs officer who was murdered in 2007 for refusing a bribe has been beatified by the Catholic Church, marking a major step toward sainthood for the 26-year-old whose act of integrity cost him his life.
Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, who worked in quality control in Goma, was abducted and killed after he rejected a bribe meant to allow spoiled rice to be transported from Rwanda into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
His stand for honesty was recognised by the Vatican, which declared him a martyr and held a beatification ceremony in Rome on Sunday.
The ceremony was led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, head of the Vatican's saint-making office, at one of the pontifical basilicas. It was attended by crowds of Congolese pilgrims and members of Rome’s Congolese Catholic community, many wearing clothing printed with Bwana’s image.
The group is expected to meet Pope Leo XIV on Monday.
Beatification is the third step in the Catholic process of declaring someone a saint. Once beatified, the individual is honoured as "Blessed" and may be publicly celebrated by specific communities or regions.
It typically requires proof of a miracle after death, but as a martyr, Bwana was exempted from this requirement. However, a confirmed miracle will still be needed for canonisation, the final step toward sainthood.
Bwana is the fourth person to be beatified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after Blessed Anuarite Nengapeta, Isidore Bakanja, and Father Albert Joubert, who was beatified along with three Xaverian missionaries.
In 2023, the late Pope Francis acknowledged Bwana’s death as a testimony of faith, describing it as an act of Gospel witness in defence of justice.
"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 could have been harmful to people's health," said Pope Francis.
"He could have easily turned a blind eye; no one would have known, and he might even have gained an advantage. But, as a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and chose honesty, saying no to corruption. That is what it means to keep your hands and heart clean."
