AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - Bishop of Quelimane: "We must be humble in social service, in the work, and in the responsibilities we assume in the Church"

Quelimane (Agenzia Fides) – "Our task is to walk together, to be together as brothers and sisters," said Bishop Osório Citora Afonso (IMC) in his first address to the community of his new diocese of Quelimane, in the province of Zambézia.

On August 28, the Consolata missionary addressed an appeal for spiritual solidarity to all those gathered to welcome him in the city's cathedral. He emphasized the need for a communal pastoral approach, which the bishop himself described as a "common pilgrimage," noting that "this must be done by all as a Church that goes forth."

"It is a pilgrimage that does not end here, but will continue," emphasized Bishop Osório, former Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Maputo, who was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane by Pope Leo XIV on July 25 (see Fides, July 25, 2025).

The Bishop of the Consolata left the capital of Mozambique and moved more than 1,500 kilometers to the north of the country to take on a new task: the beginning of his episcopal ministry as Pastor of this local Church.

The beginning of his episcopal ministry in Quelimane took place on Sunday, August 31, 2025, during a Eucharistic celebration opened by the Archbishop of Beira, Claudio Dalla Zuana. After the official installation, Bishop Osorio presided over Holy Mass before a large crowd of faithful and members of the local and national government.

In his first homily as Bishop of Quelimane, he recalled that "the Lord challenges us to choose gestures, even small ones, marked by a free and selfless relationship with people and things. We must learn to be humble in social service, in our work, and in the responsibilities we assume in the Church and beyond. We should also transmit this logic of humble service to the sons and daughters of God."

Bishop Osório is the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane, founded in 1954. The diocese covers an area of 57,798 square kilometers and currently includes 29 parishes and missions, approximately 1,930 Christian communities with 1,366,593 Catholics, according to 2025 statistics.

In September 2023, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo and ordained bishop in January 2024. He is Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique (CEM). Among other things, he worked as a collaborator in the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches (see Fides, 13/2/2024). (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 5/9/2025)

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