large crowd of faithful and religious yesterday afternoon filled the Cathedral of Mbanza-Ngungu, in the Bas Congo province, to attend the funeral of
Father Alphonse Kavendiambuku, the Congolese priest killed Tuesday in a robbery attempt around 100km from Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the chant of “this must never repeat”, the faithful that crowded into the Cathedral on several occasions addressed the local authorities that attended the funeral, celebrated by Monsignor Gabriel Mamputu, Bishop of Matadi, diocese of origin of Father
Kavendiambuku.
We are profoundly indignant and grieved by the tragic death of Don Kavenadiambuku... In the past 4 months our diocese has lost two good and worthy local priests
Aside from Monsignor Mamputu, the funeral was attended also by another two top religious figures, the Bishop of Kisantu, Fidele Nsiele, and Bishop of Kinshasa, Dominique Bulamatari, as well as around a hundred priests and the same number of nuns, to the point that not even places standing were left.
In his homily Monsignor Gabriel asked the faithful “to pray incessantly for peace to return in the nation and with this a long-awaited cessation of the ferociousness and violence that continues afflicting Congo and its people”. Then addressing the political military authorities present at the function, the Bishop of Matadi reminded that the main duty of the leadership is to protect peace and guarantee the protection of the population.
“We are profoundly indignant and grieved by the tragic death of Don Kavenadiambuku. The violence exercised against members of the Church and the civil population of the Democratic Republic of Congo is absolutely unacceptable”, stated to MISNA the chancellor of the diocese of Matadi, Father Germain Nzinga. “In the past 4 months our diocese has lost two good and worthy local priests”, added the chancellor, underlining that last March a similar fate touched Father Dieudonné Mvuezolo-Tovo, co-ordinator of the Catholic schools of the diocese, also assassinated by armed bandits.
Meanwhile, new details have emerged in the past hours on the death of the priest. Based on a reconstruction made thanks to the testimonies released by the two survivors of the ambush, the vehicle on which Father Kavendiambuku’s was travelling along with his driver and a third person, was suddenly attacked by five armed men in uniform, at the location along the road of Kavuaya (province of Bas Congo – around 100km from Kinshasa).
They were five former soldiers of the Congolese armed forces (FAC), deserters that like many others have taken to banditry, attacking passing vehicles along the main roads of the area. The five gunmen immediately opened machine-gun fire against the vehicle, striking the priest several times in the stomach, the driver to one eye, but the third passenger was miraculously unharmed by the onslaught of bullets. Father Kavendiambeku was rushed to the hospital, but died on the operating table.
(From MISNA)