The seizures, which have seen mosques constructed on properties belonging to the Church, are raising fears of deteriorating interreligious relations
Newsroom (12/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Catholic leaders in Mozambique, led by Archbishop Inácio Saure of the Archdiocese of Nampula, have publicly denounced the illegal occupation of Church-owned land and the failure of local authorities to address the escalating crisis. The seizures, which have seen mosques constructed on properties belonging to the Church, are raising fears of deteriorating interreligious relations in a nation already grappling with an Islamist insurgency in the neighboring Cabo Delgado province.
According to a Sept. 8 report by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, a pontifical charity foundation, the occupied lands include plots owned by the Servants of Mary female religious congregation, two seminaries, and the St. John the Baptist parish in Marrare. In at least one instance, a mosque has been built adjacent to a seminary, intensifying concerns among Church leaders.
Archbishop Saure detailed incidents of vandalism and aggression, including the destruction of trees and theft of livestock from Church properties. “They came and cut down many trees, and the wood was removed by truck,” he said in the ACN report. “When we asked them to respect our private property, they appeared with machetes and spears, threatening to demolish the seminary.”
Despite a May 16 court order mandating the provisional restitution of the land to the Church, no enforcement has occurred five months later. Saure reported that officials sent to address the issue were “chased away,” leading him to suspect the involvement of “a very powerful, invisible, and untouchable hand encouraging the criminals.” He demanded justice, emphasizing that the Church’s assets serve the poor. “It is not fair that the Church’s goods should be stolen in this way,” he said.
Father Benvindo Isaías de Jesus, director of Catholic Radio Encontro, told ACN that the occupations, primarily led by Muslim groups, have intensified recently. “Once they have taken the land, the first thing they do is build a mosque,” he said, warning that the situation threatens Mozambique’s fragile religious tolerance.
Father José Luzia, a missionary with nearly six decades of service in Mozambique, suggested the occupations may be retaliatory. “Some claim that the apparently organized occupation of Church land in Nampula could be related to Archbishop Saure’s recent critical statements about the social and political situation in the country,” he told ACN.
On Sept. 3, Saure held a press conference, issuing a desperate plea for intervention. “I launch a strong appeal, a call for help to all people of goodwill, in Nampula, in Mozambique, and all over the world, because it seems that the law is worth nothing in this country,” he said.
The ongoing inaction by authorities, coupled with the reported aggression and construction of mosques on seized land, has heightened tensions in Nampula, a region bordering the conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado province. Church leaders warn that without swift resolution, the crisis risks further straining Mozambique’s interreligious harmony and undermining the rule of law.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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