Vatican Beatifies Congolese Customs Worker Who Fought Corruption

In a powerful moment for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Vatican has beatified Floribèrt Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, a 26-year-old customs officer who was killed in 2007 after refusing to accept a bribe to allow spoiled rice into Goma. Last year, the late Pope Francis honored Kositi as a martyr, setting him on a path to beatification and potentially sainthood. Kositi’s beatification drew jubilant Congolese pilgrims to Rome and renewed calls to fight corruption in a country long plagued by it. Hailed by Francis as a model of “ordinary holiness,” Kositi’s act of conscience has become a symbol of moral courage, especially for Congo’s youth. Amid violence and hardship in eastern Congo, his legacy inspires hope, integrity, and faith that even in darkness, one person’s courage can spark national transformation.

AP