Floribert Bwana Chui: First Blessed of St. Egidio Community
By Stanislas Kambashi
Floribert Bwana Chui, killed in 2007 at the age of 26 for resisting corruption, was deeply involved in the activities of the Community of St. Egidio in Goma.
The Community, particularly members in Goma, received the news of the beatification of one of its members “with gratitude and joy.”
“We are so proud to see that we are giving the Church a Blessed who was part of our community,” said Aline Minani, head of the St. Egidio Community in Goma. “For us it is a source of pride, particularly for Goma, which is known for tragic events. Now we have news that brings joy to us and to our whole community around the world.”
Floribert’s commitment to the 'street children'
Floribert will be the first Blessed of St. Egidio. Within his community in Goma, he left the image of a person “who wanted to serve and for whom every life mattered,” said Ms. Minani.
He was particularly committed to street children, known in Kiswahili as Maibobo. These young people have no roof over their heads, do not go to school, and have no guarantee for their present or future. This group received great attention from the future Blessed.
Ms. Minani recounts the case of Jonathan, a 10-year-old child. While at the port of Bukavu one day, he was playing in a boat with friends. As the vessel departed, the others escaped, but he remained. The next morning, he found himself in Goma, without family or direction.
Jonathan was entrusted to Floribert, who gave him every possible care. In the following days, Floribert went to Bukavu where he found Jonathan’s family and reintegrated him. The young Jonathan testified to the deep concern Floribert had for him.
For this boy, now grown up, the future Blessed “was an angel that God had sent to save him from the street,” reports the head of St. Egidio Goma.
Floribert Bwana Chui: Man of peace, cohesion, and unity
In addition to his commitment to street children, Floribert was a man of peace, cohesion, and unity.
“He wanted to see everyone together. He always said: ‘I dream of a Congo where everyone is seated at the same table’,” said Ms. Minani. In the community or elsewhere, “he wanted to see everyone around him happy.”
In a photo shared by St. Egidio, Floribert is seen at a table with children. It was a Christmas meal for the poor organized by the community. In the photo, “you can see that those who are serving and those who are being served are indistinguishable. That’s what Floribert wanted,” emphasized the head of the community.
Keeping his hands clean and overcoming evil with good
Floribert Bwana Chui was martyred in the prime of his life, at the age of 26, for refusing corruption by blocking the passage of a shipment of spoiled rice that could have endangered public health.
He was kidnapped, tortured, and killed. During his Apostolic Visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, at a meeting with young people at the Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, 杏MAP导航 Francis cited him as a model for youth:
“He could have let it happen, no one would have known, and he would have made money. But as a Christian, he prayed, he thought of others, and he chose to be honest, saying ‘no’ to the filth of corruption… If someone offers you an envelope, promises favors and riches, don’t fall into the trap, don’t let yourself be fooled, don’t let yourself be swallowed by the swamp of evil,” the 杏MAP导航 exhorted.
For Ms. Minani, Congolese and African youth can take up this call and follow in Floribert’s footsteps in order to “write a new story.”
She suggests often speaking of Floribert’s example, as someone who managed to keep together his Christian life and his professional life, which helped him not to bend in the face of dirty money and selfishness, “the culture of ‘save yourself.’”
By following his example, young people will know how to make the right choices when faced with situations similar to his, said the young Congolese woman.
She also advises reading the Scriptures frequently, as Floribert did. His Bible is kept in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome.
Floribert Bwana Chui is also a model for political leaders
In addition to young people, Floribert’s life can also inspire and challenge other members of society, said Ms. Minani. In her country, she observed, the social fabric is deteriorating day by day.
In the eastern region in particular—where the future Blessed suffered martyrdom—instability has lasted for three decades. Today, the cities of Goma and Bukavu are under the control of the politico-military group AFC/M23, supported by Rwanda, a neighboring country of the DRC. Many lives are being lost.
To her fellow Congolese, Ms. Minani advises working for national cohesion, following Floribert’s words: “I dream of a Congo where everyone is seated at the same table.”
To the leaders of the Great Lakes region, she calls for courageous choices like those of Floribert, fighting evil with good, ending the killings, stopping the bloodshed, and building peace—because “everyone’s life matters to everyone.”
“Enough of the deaths! Enough of the lost lives!” There is no more time to waste “even a single life,” she said. “We need an inclusive Africa where everyone finds their place, where no one feels isolated like an ‘island,’ as Andrea Riccardi, founder of St. Egidio, says. Let us build bridges, not walls,” the young Congolese woman pleaded.
In peace, everyone is victorious
“Peace is a piece of cake to be shared together. In peace, everyone is victorious,” said Ms. Minani. The future Blessed, she recounted, often sang the “Song of the Resurrection for Africa,” a hymn of the Community of St. Egidio.
“Yes! Goma can become a garden of peace! Yes, the DRC can become a garden. Each of us can plant a tree that bears fruit and shade, even in the chaos, the confusion, or the dark volcanic soil of Goma.”
Ms. Minani hopes that the beatification of Floribert Bwana Chui will be a moment of joy for the entire DRC, uniting the Congolese people and encouraging reflection on the situation in their country.
She invites all who can to participate in the beatification Mass, which will take place at 5:30 PM in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Sunday, June 15.
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, will preside at the Canonization Mass. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, and Bishop Willy Ngumbi, Bishop of Goma—the diocese of origin of Floribert—will concelebrate.
The family of the future Blessed, Congolese people from all over, and the Congolese community in Rome are preparing for this great event. The Congolese government has also announced its participation.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here