Pope Leo XIV called for prayers and peace for the people of Cabo Delgado, the next day reports indicate “immense river of people seeking safety from shootings, attacks, and kidnappings” driven by the Islamist insurgency.
Newsroom (26/08/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a heartfelt appeal following his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV called for prayers and peace for the people of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, a region battered by nearly a decade of escalating violence. His words, described as a “refreshing balm” for a wounded population, offered solace to a nation grappling with relentless attacks by armed groups. “I invite you to pray for them,” the Pontiff urged the global community, expressing hope that the efforts of Mozambique’s leaders would restore security and peace to the embattled territory.
A day after the Pope’s appeal, the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano reported on the “immense river of people seeking safety from shootings, attacks, and kidnappings” driven by the Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado. The Pope’s message struck a deep chord in Mozambique. “His words made us feel loved by the entire universal Church,” said Bishop-Elect Osório Citora Afonso, IMC, the incoming bishop of Quelimane and secretary general of the Mozambican Episcopal Conference, in a telephone interview with L’Osservatore Romano. Speaking as he prepared to take possession of his new diocese on August 31, Bishop-Elect Citora conveyed the nation’s gratitude. “Knowing that our dramatic situation is in his heart has filled the entire nation with joy,” he said.
Cabo Delgado, located in Mozambique’s northeast, has been a focal point of violence, with recent attacks devastating districts such as Macomia, Chiúre, and Muidumbe. “The results are always the same: deaths, injuries, and displacement,” Bishop-Elect Citora said, noting that at least 8,000 people were displaced following the latest wave of violence. These figures add to the staggering 57,000 individuals displaced in the region between July 20 and August 3, according to Doctors Without Borders, with the number continuing to rise daily.
The displaced, fleeing shootings, bombings, and kidnappings, are moving toward safer areas in the north and south of the country. “These people really need everything,” Bishop-Elect Citora emphasized. “After abandoning their homes and lands, they no longer own anything. They’ve been walking on foot for days and days, and now they’re exhausted.”
The Mozambican government is working to address the crisis, but the local Church is also at the forefront of relief efforts. In Cabo Delgado, Jesuit missionaries have deployed a team to provide material and psychological support to the displaced. Bishop-Elect Citora highlighted a recent mission by the Episcopal Conference, during which four bishops, representing all ecclesiastical provinces, visited the region to listen to the displaced and share their burdens. “They joined priests on the ground to address every concern and every glimmer of hope,” he said. The Church has also organized weekly collections of essential goods to alleviate hunger and thirst among those in need.
In Nampula province, over 700 kilometers south of Cabo Delgado, Bishop-Elect Citora witnessed impoverished families opening their homes to others who had fled with nothing but their lives. “This is the sign of true love, of true solidarity,” he said.
Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo of Pemba, whose diocese encompasses Cabo Delgado, echoed the Pope’s sentiments in an interview with Vatican media. He decried the “senseless violence” that continues to destroy lives and infrastructure, fostering widespread insecurity. Expressing profound gratitude to Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Sandramo said, “The Pope’s appeal has shown the world that no conflict is worthy of being forgotten, as every war wounds life and offends human dignity.”
Recently, a delegation from the Mozambican Episcopal Conference, including Bishop-Elect Citora, met with President Daniel Chapo to discuss the crisis. “We spoke of the urgent need to end the violent insurrection plaguing the country,” Bishop-Elect Citora recalled. He outlined a multi-pronged approach to resolution: sincere dialogue with those perpetuating the conflict, broader engagement with civil society to isolate criminal groups, and the creation of better living conditions for young people, who are often exploited by those seeking to control Cabo Delgado’s rich natural gas reserves.
As Mozambique continues to navigate this humanitarian crisis, the Pope’s call for peace and the Church’s active solidarity offer a beacon of hope for a region desperate for healing.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from L’Osservatore Romano
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