During his general audience, Pope Francis shared these words with the congregation of a priest who was murdered in the Democratic Republic of Congo on February 2. His name was Fr. Richard Masivi, he was 37 years old and had been a priest for only two years.
POPE FRANCIS
'May the death of Father Richard, a victim of unjustifiable and despicable violence, not discourage his relatives, his religious family and the entire Christian community of that nation, to announce and witness goodness and fraternity despite the difficulties'.
Among those listening to the Pope was Fr. Jean Claude Musubaho, superior of the African province of the Order of Clerics Regular Minor, to which the murdered priest belonged.
JEAN CLAUDE MUSUBAHO LULONGA
Superior of the African Province
'We felt consoled because the Pope spoke about our brother who was killed. It is a great consolation and we thank the Pope for this gesture. I sent Father Richard to that region three months ago. The news of his murder was a shock, and a great wound in our hearts because we did not expect it.'
Fr. Masivi had gone to celebrate Mass in another parish nearby for the Church's Day of Consecrated Life, and was murdered on his return. The motive is still unknown.
JEAN CLAUDE MUSUBAHO LULONGA
Superior of the African Province
'We don't know what they were looking for because they killed him in the car. He was alone, but they didn't steal anything he had on him. We don't understand. In that region they kill people as if they were animals. We work in a very insecure environment. You wake up in the morning and you don't know if you'll make it to the evening. If you go out to celebrate mass, you don't know if you'll come back.'
The Democratic Republic of Congo has 105 million inhabitants, of which almost 30% are Catholic. Pope Francis has signaled he is considering visiting the country in the coming months.
The Order of Clerics Regular Minor was founded in Naples in the 16th century. Their order is centered on the Eucharist, and they have an unusual fourth vow: to not seek ecclesiatical dignities.
JRB
TR: JM
