Catholic faithful bid farewell to Bishop Osório Citora Afonso on Friday in Quelimane

The Mozambican Catholic community is preparing to pay its last respects to Dom Osório Citora Afonso, Bishop of Quelimane, who was assassinated in the early hours of last Saturday by unidentified individuals. The official farewell ceremony will take place next Friday at the Quelimane Cathedral, in Zambézia province.

In a statement released on Monday, the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique announced that the funeral rites for the prelate will be held in accordance with the canonical and liturgical prescriptions reserved for diocesan bishops. The ceremonies will take place in two distinct moments: the official ecclesiastical funeral on Friday in Quelimane, and the family celebration on Saturday in Nampula.

The official funeral will begin at 9:00 AM at the Quelimane Cathedral, with the body of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso present. The service will be presided over by Archbishop Luís Miguel Muñoz Cárdaba, Apostolic Nuncio to Mozambique.

After the mass, the Bishop's remains will be transported by air to the Archdiocese of Nampula, where the final family tributes will take place. On Friday night, the body will lie in state at the Consolata School, located in the Nampaco neighborhood, allowing the faithful to bid farewell to the pastor who dedicated his life to the service of the Church.

On Saturday, the body will be transferred to the Cathedral of Nampula, a place of profound significance in the life of Dom Osório, where he was baptized, received the sacrament of confirmation, and was ordained a priest. The funeral mass is scheduled for 10:00 AM and will be presided over by Dom Inácio Saure, Metropolitan Archbishop of Nampula.

After the celebration, Dom Osório Citora Afonso will be buried in the Clergy Cemetery of the Archdiocese of Nampula, next to the Mater Apostolorum Propaedeutic Seminary, in the Nampaco neighborhood.

In its message, the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique joins the Universal Church and the Mozambican Catholic community in this moment of profound sorrow, offering prayers of gratitude for the life, mission, and witness of faith left by Bishop Osório Citora Afonso, while also expressing solidarity with his biological and religious families.

"Rest in peace, Dom Osório! Your witness remains alive in the Universal Church and in the hearts of the Mozambican people in particular," concludes the note from the Catholic bishops.