The slain bishop was a 54-year-old Consolata missionary.
Bishop Osorio Citora of Quelimane, Mozambique, was shot dead in the early hours of this morning, June 6, and his body was found in a corridor of the episcopal residence, according to Aid to the Church in Need.
The perpetrator of the crime remains unknown and according to the leader of the country's bishops, Archbishop Inácio Saure of Nampula, his body was found “lifeless and in strange circumstances that have yet to be clarified.”
The slain bishop was a 54-year-old Consolata missionary. At this stage, few details are known about the crime. It is understood only that the bishop was shot in the chest, near the heart, and that his body was found in a corridor of the residence.
The Presidency of the Republic of Mozambique also issued a statement expressing its “deep sorrow and consternation” at the news of the Bishop’s death. President Daniel Chapo described the loss as “irreparable” for Mozambican society and for the Christian community, noting that Bishop Osório had “distinguished himself throughout his life by his humility, pastoral dedication, and his preaching of the values of peace and reconciliation.”
Troubling situation in the nation
The murder is yet another tragedy for the Church in Mozambique, which is already grappling with terrorist violence in the north of the country, particularly in Cabo Delgado Province.
At the end of April in that province, an attack resulted in the destruction of key religious and social infrastructure, including the parish church, missionaries’ residences, and a small community school, leaving the mission largely destroyed.
The bishop was killed in the Zambezia province, in the center-east of the nation.
Mozambique remains a priority country for ACN, which has supported the local Church at many levels, not only through humanitarian aid, but also by promoting psychosocial support and the reconstruction of infrastructure.
Pope Francis visited the nation in 2019. Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s went to Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, at the end of 2025 on a visit that was brief, risky, and unmistakably symbolic. In a region scarred by jihadist violence since 2017, the Vatican’s Secretary of State came with a message he repeated plainly to local Christians: You are not alone.
