Catholics attacked & killed in Congo; Pope Leo XIV offers sorrow, spiritual closeness and prayers

 

File photo of the aftermath of violence in the DRC  (AFP or licensors)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Pietro Parolin
• telegram
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• catholic church
• political violence

Pope: May blood of ‘martyrs’ in DRC church attack become seed of peace

Pope Leo XIV expresses sorrow and spiritual closeness following the deadly attack on the Parish of Blessed Anuarite in Komanda, in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

By Vatican News 

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28/07/2025

Scores killed in DR Congo attack on Catholic Church

” May the blood of these martyrs become a seed of peace, reconciliation, fraternity, and love for the Congolese people,” the Pope writes in his message following a brutal attack on a Catholic Church in Komanda town in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nearly 40 people were killed Sunday in eastern Congo's Ituri province when rebels stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshippers.

At least 38 people, including women and children, were confirmed dead in the church, while another five were killed in a nearby village.

In a telegram addressed to Archbishop Mugalu, President of the Congolese Bishops’ Conference on the Pope's behalf, Cardinal Pietro Parolin says, “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV learned with dismay and deep sorrow of the attack perpetrated against the Parish of Blessed Anuarite in Komanda, which caused the death of several faithful gathered for worship.”

This tragedy, he continues, “calls us even more urgently to work for the integral human development of the martyred population of that region.”

Concluding the telegram, Pope Leo XIV imparts his Apostolic Blessing upon the Parish of Blessed Anuarite, the mourning families, the faithful of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the entire nation.

Extremist militias

According to Congolese authorities, the attacks in Komanda town in the conflict-battered region were carried out by the Allied Democratic Force, a rebel group backed by the Islamic State that has mostly targeted villagers in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda.

The ADF has roots in Uganda in the 1990s. Following the overthrow of long-term dictator Idi Amin, a coalition of various discontent groups saw the new government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni as anti-Muslim. Since then, the group has grown into a potent force but has been pushed out of Uganda’s territories and now operates in the borderlands between Uganda and Congo, often targeting civilians in remote villages.

Pope Francis prayers for victims of student massacre in Uganda

 

The school in the Ugandan district of Kasese where the attack occurred  (ANSA)

POPE

• UGANDA
• POPE FRANCIS
• ATTACK

Pope prays for young students killed in attack in Uganda

Pope Francis offers his prayers for young victims killed in a "brutal attack" at a school in Uganda. At least 41 are dead and the attackers are said to be fleeing to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

By Paolo Ondarza

READ ALSO

17/06/2023

Ugandan priest appeals for peace talks to stop the massacre of innocent people

Encouraging everyone to "pray for peace," Pope Francis at his first Sunday Angelus since being released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital turned his thoughts to the young students who were victims of a "brutal attack" on a school in western Uganda. The Pope asked everyone to pray for peace wherever there is tension and war. 

According to local authorities, the rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) provoked the attack. Among the victims were 38 young students from the secondary school in Lhubiriha. The public school is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, in the west of the country and two kilometres from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some were slaughtered, while several female students were reportedly kidnapped. A guard and two members of the local community were also shot outside the facility. Eight people were rescued and are in critical condition in the facility. Some bodies were reportedly burnt and are now unrecognisable.

The attackers are said to be on the run and the Ugandan army is reportedly in pursuit. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are accused of launching many attacks against civilians in recent years, particularly against communities in remote areas of eastern Congo. Last week alone, a village in the republic near the border with Uganda was attacked. The militiamen are opposed to the government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the African Union, and the European Union have condemned the attack.

The universality of the Catholic faith: Rwandan Catholics on pilgrimage to Uganda

 

Rwandan Catechists visit Uganda on pilgrimage to the site of their patron saint.

96 Rwandan Catechists, accompanied by Antoine Cardinal Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali and President of the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda, have made a pilgrimage to the sites of the Martyrs in Uganda.

Fr. Fidele Mutabazi - Kigali, Rwanda.

The pilgrimage was from 17 May to 20 May 2023 as part of preparations for the Catechists’ Day, which, in Rwanda, will be celebrated this Sunday, 21 May 2023.

Saint Andrew Kaggwa was martyred on 26 May 1886 at Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda. He is the patron of catechists, teachers and families.

The pilgrimage by the 96 Rwandan catechists to the martyrs’ sites brought together catechists from all the dioceses of Rwanda. Sr. Uwamariya Genevieve, Rwanda’s Director of the National Catechetical Office, said apart from learning more about their patron, Saint Andrew Kaggwa, who zealously served as a catechist, the pilgrimage was an opportunity for the catechists to learn about the witness of one’s faith -sometimes even to the point of losing one’s life.

In the footsteps of the Martyrs

On the first day of the pilgrimage, the Catechists visited the sites of the Martyrs who were killed at the King’s palace on orders of Mwanga II, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda. This included Denis Ssebuggwawo, who is acknowledged as the first of the Martyrs of Uganda. The Catechists then continued the Way of the Cross that the Martyrs followed to the main shrine of Namugongo.

Before visiting the sites where other martyrs such as Pontian Ngondwe, Jean-Marie Muzei, Mathias Mulumba and others were killed, the Rwandese Catechists spent time at the Minor Basilica of Munyonyo. It is the site of the patron saint, Andrew Kaggwa, who was killed in the courtyard where he used to teach catechism to converts.

Cardinal Kambanda celebrated the Eucharist for the Catechists in the Basilica of Munyonyo as part of their pilgrimage journey.

In his homily, the Cardinal praised the courage of the Ugandan Martyrs for the supreme Christ-like sacrifice of giving their lives for those they loved. Cardinal Kambanda further reminded the Catechists that martyrdom is but a divine grace. He recounted the history of the Ugandan Martyrs. He urged the Catechists to learn from the martyrs’ courage and love for Christ.

Handing on the faith and witnessing to the Gospel

The Cardinal also took time to explain in detail the life of Andrew Kaggwa, which he seemed to know very well. He challenged the Catechists to live up to the faith they professed and teach to others.

In closing speeches, the Catechists expressed their satisfaction with the pilgrimage and thanked Cardinal Kambanda for accompanying them.

Rwanda has historical links with Uganda because the missionaries who came to Rwanda, such as Bishop John Joseph Hirth, first visited Uganda before continuing to Tanzania and Rwanda. Hirth is sometimes referred to as the founder of the Church in Rwanda.

Beatification in Uganda

 

The beatification of Joseph Ambrosoli at Kalongo, Uganda. 

AFRICA

• UGANDA
• SAINTS AND BLESSED
• MEDICINE & HEALTH
• APOSTOLIC NUNCIO

Uganda: Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli -priest, missionary, doctor, surgeon and philanthropist.

The new Blessed of the Church, Fr Joseph Ambrosoli, was beatified Sunday at a colourful ceremony in Uganda's Archdiocese of Gulu. The Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda presided over the ceremony, also attended by the country's Republican President.

Paul Samasumo - Vatican City.

Ugandan media on Monday were filled with radiant stories of the newly beatified Joseph Ambrosoli's beatification and recollections of his work and inspiring life.

A healer of body and soul

The beatification ceremony took place at the Kalongo Catholic mission in the Kalongo town council, Agago district. Pope Francis delegated the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda, Archbishop Luigi Bianco, to officiate at the beatification ceremony. Also concelebrating at the Beatification Mass were several Bishops, priests, as well as the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries, Fr Tesfaye Tadesse.

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and senior government officials joined thousands of the Catholic faithful who thronged the outdoor religious event.

"He healed the wounds of body and soul," Archbishop Luigi Bianco, the Apostolic Nuncio, said. He continued, "We are invited to consider emulating Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli's faith, hope, charity, humility, goodness, patience, generosity, spirit of service, sense of duty, and availability," he added.

Solemnity of Christ the King

Reporting on the Apostolic Nuncio’s homily in Uganda, Vatican News Italian language’s Fausta Speranza said the Nuncio made explicit reference to the Sunday's feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King. Archbishop Bianco recalled the meaning of the Kingship of Christ, who gave his life out of love and did not seek power. "His Kingdom," said the Nuncio, "is different from that of the world because God does not reign to increase his power and crush others. He does not reign with armies and force." All of these, Archbishop Bianco said, inspired the choices of Father Joseph Ambrosoli. He made his medical knowledge available to an impoverished territory at the time without neglecting the person as a whole.

Blessed Ambrosoli lived and worked in Kalongo parish

Speaking ahead of the beatification, Gulu's Archbishop John Baptist Odama told Angella Rwezaula of Vatican News' KiSwahili Service that the Archdiocese of Gulu feels very blessed to have yet another Blessed in its midst. The Archdiocese already has Blessed Jildo Irwa and Daudi Okello. The two are the blessed martyrs of Gulu.

Father Giuseppe Ambrosoli is best remembered as a beloved priest, surgeon, philanthropist, and educator in the missions of Uganda. He was fondly referred to by Ugandans as the 'good doctor' or the 'saintly doctor.' To this day, people speak fondly about his unique compassion and kindness in caring for patients, reminisced Archbishop Odama.

Father Joseph Ambrosoli's beatification took place at the Catholic Parish of Kalongo, where he lived and worked. "It is about 130 Km from the city of Gulu," said Archbishop Odama. He added, "This man lived a very simple life. We could say his heart was closely related to that of God. He handled people with God's love, and one of his famous statements was, 'God is love, and I am his servant to the suffering people.' It is actually more than just a statement. It is a compelling message. Besides, Fr Ambrosoli often prayed, 'God free me from myself so that I can love everyone, including those who are not loved by anyone. Let me love them all,' "testified Archbishop Odama.

We are all called to sainthood

Archbishop Odama continued, "As a doctor, Fr Ambrosoli served everybody. People always felt the presence of God through him. He was a great man of prayer, charity, self-giving, and humility. He was one imbued with that universal perspective of life. All I can say is that this man shows that all of us are called to sainthood," explained the Archbishop of Gulu.

Acclaimed a saint by the people

Ambrosoli was born in 1923 in the Province of Como, Italy. He arrived in Uganda in February 1956. While in Gulu, he eventually relocated to Kalongo and founded the Kalongo Hospital. This facility gained a reputation for excellence. For almost 31 years, until 1987, when he died, Fr Ambrosoli cared for Uganda's sick.

"After he died in 1987, people felt that this man must have been a holy person. So, I took the courage to constitute a small committee to see how we could start the process of beatification … The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican encouraged us to tell people to pray so that we could have some favours through the intercession of Fr Ambrosoli. About two years ago, a miracle happened in the hospital. A lady with a malignant tumour got healed through the intercession of Fr Ambrosoli," said the Archbishop Gulu.

Emulate the values of Blessed Ambrosoli

The beatification was, in fact, initially scheduled for 22 November 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

Fr. Achilles Kiwanuka Kasozi, Provincial Superior of the Comboni Missionaries in Uganda, has urged the people to focus more on Fr Ambrosoli's love for the poor and sick. He has since invited Christians to emulate the values lived by Blessed Ambrosoli.

Pope Francis meets with and encourages the youth of Uganda

Pope Tells Young Ugandans Best 'Weapon' They Could Ever Possess Is Prayer

Reminds Youth of 3 Tools Which Can Transform Negative Experiences Into Good

    

Uganda, November 28, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Deborah Castellano Lubov              

 

Can negative situations be turned around and transformed into something good? Pope Francis says yes, as long as you turn to Jesus and His Mother.

 

During his meeting with Uganda's young people gathered at Kololo Air Strip in the African nation's capital of Kampala this afternoon, the Pope listened to the testimonies of a young man and woman and, putting aside his prepared script, reflected how both had had bad experiences, but assured that bad experiences can serve for something in life.

 

Winnie Nansumba, who lost both her parents by age 7, told Pope Francis about living with HIV and her work to fight AIDS, discrimination and depression. In her testimony, she told her peers, "Take charge of your life and know your (HIV) status. HIV is real." She reminded them that your body is a temple, saying to beware of STDs, and don't live in sin. Also, a young man, Emmanuel Odokonyero, shared his tragic story of being in captivity for three months as hostage of the Lord's Resistance Army when they stormed into the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, abducting 41 children, including him. He recounted how he managed to escape and spoke on his sorrow for those who died and the impact of his ordeal.

Despite what may seem to be insurmountable challenges, the Pope reminded the young people in response to the testimonies, Jesus makes it clear that that he can work great miracles, transforming walls into horizons, which open to the future. Before a negative experience, he said, acknowledging how many of those in the audience had suffered negative experiences, there is hope.

Not magic, but Jesus

When bitterness and sadness are turned into hope, Francis stressed, "This is not magic, it is a work of Jesus. Because Jesus is Lord! Jesus can do anything! Jesus suffered the most negative experience of history and was insulted, was cast out, and was assassinated. But Jesus with the power of God is risen; He can make each of us have the same outcome with every negative experience because Jesus is Lord."
Through this "death" of experiencing difficult situations, the Pope noted, there is a life, a life for everyone. "If I transform the negative into the positive, I'm a winner. But this can be done only by the grace of Jesus," he said.
"Are you sure about this? I cannot hear you!," he said in dialouge with the crowd of young people. "Are you willing to make in life all the negative things into positive things? Are you willing to turn hate into love? To transform war into peace? You should be aware that you are a people of martyrs. In your veins flows the blood of the martyrs and for that, you have faith and life."
"They say that the microphone does not work well. Sometimes we also do not function well and when we do not function well, to whom do we go for help? Don't I feel ... stronger ... in Jesus! Jesus can change your life. Jesus can break down all the walls in front of you. Jesus can make it so, that your life is service to others."
"Some of you may ask: 'So there is a magic wand?' If you want Jesus to change your life you have to ask Him for help. You must pray. You got it, right? Pray! I ask you: Do you pray? Are you sure? Pray to Jesus because He is the Savior. Never stop praying. Prayer is the most powerful weapon that a young man has. Jesus loves us. I ask you, Jesus loves some, yes, and some no? Jesus loves everyone, doesn't He? Does Jesus wants to help everyone?"

Open hearts

If you believe this is true, the Pope urged, "open the door of your heart to Jesus and let Him enter into your lives to combat the struggles."
"Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to wish the best for yourself? Are you willing to ask Jesus to help you in the fight?" he asied.
He also pointed out a third element, that we all belong to the Church, and the Church has a mother: Mary. "When a child falls, he gets hurt and starts crying, he goes looking for his mother. When we have a problem, the best thing we can do is go where our Mother is and pray to Mary, our Mother. Do you agree? You pray to the Virgin, to our Mother? And I ask you: Do you pray to Jesus and the Virgin Mary, our Mother? (Yesss ...)"
So these are the three things, he said, namely to overcome the difficulties, transforming the negative into a positive, and prayer. "Prayer to Jesus who can do anything, Jesus who enters into our hearts and changes our lives. Jesus came to save and to give His life for me," and also prayer to our Mother Mary.
The Pope concluded, thanking them for listening to him and for their interest in changing the negatives in their lives into positives, with Jesus' and Mary's help. He invited them to pray together because our Mother protects us. We agree? All together?
The Holy Father is making an Apostolic Visit to Africa, Nov. 25-30. He arrived in Uganda's capital of Kampala yesterday, after having been in Kenya's capital of Nairobi. Tomorrow, he leaves for Central African Republic's capital of Bangui, where he will visit a refugee camp and open the Holy Door for the Jubilee Year.
***
On ZENIT's Web page:
Full Translation: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/full-text-pope-s-off-the-cuff-address-to-ugandan-youth

In Uganda 2 million flock to Mass with Pope Francis' remembers the Ugandan Martytrs

Legacy of Ugandan Martyrs Isn't to Remain 'Enshrined as Precious Jewel in Museum,' Suggests Pope

During Mass With 2M Ugandans, Pontiff Reminds Faithful Earthly Pleasures Don't Bring Lasting Joy or Peace and Shares What Does

    

Uganda, November 28, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Deborah Castellano Lubov              

 

The witness of the martyrs shows to all that worldly pleasures and earthly power do not bring lasting joy or peace, but rather, fidelity to God, honesty and integrity of life, and genuine concern for the good of others, do, in a way that the world cannot.
During his homily during his first Mass in Uganda, the Pope made this point to the some 2 million faithful gathered at the Sanctuary of the Ugandan Martyrs at Namugongo after having visited Namugongo's Catholic and Anglican shrines first thing this morning. The Namugongo Anglican Shrine stands on the site of the martyrdom of 25 Ugandan Catholics and Anglicans, whose relics are preserved in a chapel adjacent to the sacred building, not far from the Catholic Shrine.
Pope Francis visited the shrines to recall those Christians murdered for their faith between 1885 and 1887, when King Mwuala II had 23 Anglicans and 22 Catholics executed in the historical kingdom of Buganda, which is now part of Uganda.
The Pontiff began his homily acknowledging that today, we recall with gratitude the sacrifice of the Uganda martyrs, "whose witness of love for Christ and his Church has truly gone “to the end of the earth,'” and remember also the Anglican martyrs "whose deaths for Christ testify to the ecumenism of blood." All these witnesses, he observed, nurtured the gift of the Holy Spirit in their lives and freely gave testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ, even at the cost of their lives.
Francis reminded the Africans that all of us received the gift of the Spirit, not only to make us sons and daughters of God, but also for us to bear witness to Jesus and make Him loved and known everywhere known. Every day, he encouraged, we are called to deepen the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life, to “fan into flame” the gift of his divine love so that we may be a source of wisdom and strength to others.
Pope Francis stressed that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift which is meant to be shared and that unites us to one another as believers and living members of Christ’s mystical Body. "We do not receive the gift of the Spirit for ourselves alone, but to build up one another in faith, hope and love," just as Saints Joseph Mkasa and Charles Lwanga did, he said.
"If, like the martyrs, we daily fan into flame the gift of the Spirit who dwells in our hearts, then we will surely become the missionary disciples which Christ calls us to be. To our families and friends certainly, but also to those whom we do not know, especially those who might be unfriendly, even hostile, to us." This openness to others, the Pope explained, begins first in the family, in our homes, and also finds expression too in our care for the elderly and the poor, the widowed and the orphaned.
Pope Francis stressed that this does not diminish our concern for this world, as if we only look to the life to come, but rather gives purpose to our lives in this world, and helps us to reach out to those in need, to cooperate with others for the common good, and to build a more just society which does three things: promotes human dignity, defends God’s gift of life and protects the wonders of nature, his creation and our common home.
This is the legacy which you have received from the Uganda martyrs, he told the Ugandan faithful, "lives marked by the power of the Holy Spirit, lives which witness even now to the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
"This legacy is not served by an occasional remembrance, or by being enshrined in a museum as a precious jewel. Rather, we honor them, and all the saints, when we carry on their witness to Christ, in our homes and neighborhoods, in our workplaces and civil society, whether we never leave our homes or we go to the farthest corner of the world," he said.
The Pope concluded, praying that the Uganda martyrs, together with Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede for us, and may the Holy Spirit kindle within us the fire of his divine love, and saying 'God bless you' in Swahili.
The Holy Father is making an Apostolic Visit to Africa, Nov. 25-30. He arrived in Uganda's capital of Kampala yesterday, after having been in Kenya's capital of Nairobi. Tomorrow, he leaves for Central African Republic's capital of Bangui, where he will visit a refugee camp and open the Jubilee Year.
***
On ZENIT's Web page:
Full Text: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/full-text-pope-s-homily-at-sanctuary-of-the-ugandan-martyrs-at-namugongo

Pope Francis now in Uganda

Pope in Uganda: Africa Is Continent of Hope

Says Martyrs Are Reminder That All Must Seek Justice, Common Good
 

    

Uganda, November 27, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Kathleen Naab               

 

Pope Francis began his trip to Uganda this evening by encouraging leaders of the country to protect and help one another as members of one human family, regardless of different beliefs and convictions.
The Holy Father arrived in Uganda around 5 pm local time, just after concluding the Kenya leg of his three-country Africa visit. On Sunday, he flies to Central African Republic, before returning to Rome on Monday.
After a festive welcome at the airport in Entebbe, the Pontiff addressed members of government and the diplomatic corps at the State House.
Speaking in English, he said that his visit to Uganda is above all to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of the Uganda martyrs, but added that he hopes “my presence here will also be seen as a sign of friendship, esteem and encouragement for all the people of this great nation.”
Uganda is about 40% Catholic and 40% Protestant (mostly Anglican), with a significant (12%) Muslim minority.

National heroes

Pope Francis referred to the Uganda martyrs as “true national heroes.” They were both Catholic and Anglican and were executed between November 1885 and January 1887.
“They remind us of the importance that faith, moral rectitude and commitment to the common good have played, and continue to play, in the cultural, economic and political life of this country,” Francis said. “They also remind us that, despite our different beliefs and convictions, all of us are called to seek the truth, to work for justice and reconciliation, and to respect, protect and help one another as members of our one human family.”
The Holy Father said his visit is also meant to draw attention to Africa as a whole, the continent looked to by the world as, he said, “the continent of hope.”
In addition to its natural resources, the Pontiff reflected, Uganda has been “blessed in its people: its strong families, its young and its elderly.”
The elderly, he emphasized, are “the living memory of every people. Their wisdom and experience should always be valued as a compass which can enable society to find the right direction in confronting the challenges of the present with integrity, wisdom and vision.”

Solidarity

The Pope also praised Uganda for its welcome of refugees, noting that the world’s response to the unprecedented movement of people in various regions is a “test of our humanity, our respect for human dignity, and above all our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need.”
“Although my visit is brief,” the Pope said, “I hope to encourage the many quiet efforts being made to care for the poor, the sick and those in any kind of trouble. It is in these small signs that we see the true soul of a people. In so many ways, our world is growing closer; yet at the same time we see with concern the globalization of a ‘throwaway culture’ which blinds us to spiritual values, hardens our hearts before the needs of the poor, and robs our young of hope.”
—-
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/full-text-pope-s-address-to-ugandan-authorities