Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was born on 13 June 1981 in Goma, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Raised in a deeply Christian household, Floribert developed early on a quiet conviction that faith must be lived boldly, especially where injustice and corruption threaten the dignity of human life. That conviction would shape his entire journey.
After completing his studies in law and economics in 2006, Floribert joined the Community of Sant’Egidio, offering his time and heart to Goma’s most vulnerable: orphans and children living on the street in the Mabanga district.
He served not for recognition, but because he saw Christ in the faces of the poor.
Faith for him was not an abstract principle, it was reality, a call to protect, to uplift, and to walk in integrity even when no one was watching.
When he joined the Congolese Control Office (OCC), the agency responsible for inspecting imports, Floribert brought that same integrity into public service. He began in Kinshasa, but was soon transferred back to his hometown of Goma, where he was appointed head of the local OCC office. There, he was entrusted with the simple but vital task of safeguarding the quality and safety of goods entering the country. In a context where corruption ran rampant, Floribert chose righteousness.
In July 2007, he faced a test that would ultimately cost him his life. A shipment of spoiled rice had arrived from Rwanda, contaminated and dangerous for consumption. When corrupt traders and complicit officials attempted to bribe him into clearing it for distribution, Floribert stood firm. He refused to approve the release of the rice, ordering its destruction and declaring that no amount of money would persuade him to betray his people.
On 7 July 2007, he was abducted. Two days later, his tortured body was found in an empty lot in Goma. He was just 26 years old.
Floribert’s martyrdom did not go unnoticed. In 2023 Pope Francis stated in his address to youths in the Congo:
“I think of the witness given by a young person like yourselves, Floribert... only twenty-six years old, he was killed in Goma for having blocked the passage of spoiled foodstuffs that could have been harmful to people’s health. He could have easily turned a blind eye; no one would have known, and he might even have gained an advantage. But, as a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and chose honesty, saying no to corruption. That is what it means to keep your hands and heart clean.”
On 25 November 2024, Pope Francis officially recognised that he was martyred in odium fidei—in hatred of the faith. His beatification is scheduled for 15 June 2025 at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. His well-worn Bible, the one he clung to in prayer and decision, is preserved as a relic at the Basilica of San Bartolomeo all’Isola, a sanctuary honouring the modern martyrs of our age.
Prayer for the Intercession of Floribert Bwana Chui
Servant of God Floribert, you loved God more than comfort, more than compromise, more than your own life.
In the face of threats, you stood firm. In the silence of temptation, you chose truth. In the shadows of corruption, you chose Christ. Teach us to be faithful in the quiet moments— in our workplaces, at border posts, in meetings, decisions, and the hidden corners of our conscience. Remind us that holiness is not confined to churches, but is forged in the furnace of integrity and love for others.
Pray for us,
that we too may have the courage to choose what is right when it costs us something— to choose justice over personal gain, to choose the good of others over our own safety, and to choose Christ, always. Through your witness, may many rise up with clean hands and pure hearts and may your intercession strengthen us to walk the narrow path with joy. Amen.
