The Catholic Church has beatified Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, a Congolese customs officer in Goma who was murdered in 2007 for refusing to accept bribes.
The ceremony was held in Rome, at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, and was led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
At the time of his killing, Floribert had refused to authorize the entry of substandard food products into Goma, smuggled by criminal groups reportedly operating “between Rwanda and the DRC,” according to authorities in Kinshasa.
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo described his beatification as “a powerful symbol of courage and integrity,” affirming that “he is a role model for the youth.”
Floribert now joins the ranks of three other beatified Congolese, including Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta and Isidore Bakanja.
Those who attended the beatification ceremony described him as a shining example of someone who lived honestly and bravely, rejecting corruption even at the cost of his life.
