Catholic Bishop Killed in Mozambique as Gunmen Invade Residence

The Catholic Bishop of Quelimane, Mozambique, Osório Cîtora Afonso, has died after being shot by gunmen at his residence.
According to a report by Catholic World News on Saturday, June 6, 2026, the bishop “died this morning after being shot in the heart in his residence.”
The report stated that the late bishop was born in 1972 and was ordained a priest in 2002. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Maputo in 2023 and became Bishop of Quelimane in July 2025. Before his appointment as bishop, he served as an official in the Dicastery for Evangelization.
The report further quoted the Portuguese bishops’ news agency as saying that “the crime was committed with an AKM-type weapon by individuals who climbed the wall of his residence, having vandalized the electrical security … There are no detainees so far, and the authorities are investigating the case.”
Photo: Late Bishop Osório Cîtora Afonso. Courtesy of Comissão das Comunicações da Conferência Episcopal de Moçambique.