Bishop Citora Afonso, Bishop of Quelimane and Apostolic Administrator of Beira in Mozambique, was found dead on the morning of 6 June at his episcopal residence in Quelimane, having been fatally shot in the chest. He was 54.
Fides News Agency reported that Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service has opened an investigation, with no details or lines of enquiry regarding who is responsible having been released. A memorial Mass was celebrated on 6 June 2026 at 6pm at the Parish of Our Lady of Liberation, Quelimane Cathedral.
Bishop Citora Afonso was the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane, established in 1954 under the patronage of Our Lady of Liberation.
Born on 6 May 1972 in Ribaue, in the Diocese of Nampula, Bishop Afonso studied at the Christ the King Preparatory Seminary and Saint Augustine Major Seminary in Matola before undertaking theological studies at the Saint-Eugène de Mazenod Institute in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
While at seminary, he became a member of the Consolata Missionaries, taking perpetual vows on 17 June 2001 and being ordained a priest on 3 November 2002. His ministry saw him undertake further studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the École Biblique et Archéologique Française and obtain a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He also held various leadership positions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Italy before being appointed an official of the Dicastery for Evangelization in 2017.
On 21 September 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Maputo. On 25 July 2025, Pope Leo XIV transferred him to the Diocese of Quelimane and appointed him diocesan bishop there. Since August 2025, he had served as secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique and, in April 2026, he was appointed by Pope Leo XIV as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Beira.
Commenting on the murder, Daniel Francisco Chapo stated that “the death of Bishop Osório represents an irreparable loss for Mozambican society and for the Christian community”, highlighting the bishop’s witness of humility, pastoral dedication and commitment to promoting the values of peace and reconciliation.
The President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, Inácio Saúre, said that Bishop Afonso “was found dead under unusual circumstances that are still to be clarified”.
The archbishop also appealed for calm, saying: “At this very troubled moment, I appeal for serenity in faith and fraternal solidarity, in the hope that we will be able, in due course, to provide accurate and detailed information regarding this sad event.”
While the motives behind the murder are unknown, Bishop Afonso was an outspoken critic of the Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique, particularly in Cabo Delgado Province. Speaking to Fides News Agency, he said: “The situation seems out of control. The attacks continue, always in the same areas, and the population is terrified.”
