Overview

• Pope Francis declared Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi a martyr last year, exempting him from the miracle requirement and paving the way for his June 15 beatification
• Kositi, a 26-year-old customs quality-control official, was kidnapped and killed in 2007 after refusing a bribe to transport rancid rice from Rwanda into Goma
• Cardinal Marcello Semeraro presided over the beatification at St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, which drew Congolese pilgrims and members of the local Congolese Catholic community
• The beatification brought widespread celebration in Goma as citizens view Kositi’s example as a source of hope during violent clashes with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in a deep humanitarian crisis
• Transparency International ranks Congo 163 out of 180 countries for corruption, underscoring why church leaders regard Kositi’s stand as a vital lesson in integrity for the nation’s youth