Catholic priests, religious brother attacked at Mozambique archdiocesan training center

ACI Africa, Feb 27, 2025 /
07:00 am

Fear has gripped the Nazaré Training Center in Mozambique’s Archdiocese of Beira following a Sunday, Feb. 23, attack that left two priests and a religious brother at the facility injured.

The Conference of Religious Institutes of Mozambique told Catholic pontifical and charity foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International that a group of men armed with pistols, machetes, and irons entered the institution in the early hours of Feb. 23, violently attacking three missionaries who were there.

According to a Feb. 25 ACN report, the conference “expressed its concern about the insecurity” in the southern African nation following the attack and appealed for prayers for peace in the country.

ACN reported that the two priests and brother were “tied up and tortured by the bandits” at the institution, which engages in various activities, including formation courses for the Mozambican archdiocese.

Fortunately, according to the report, all three men “are out of danger” and suffered only “minor pain and injuries.”

One of the victims, Father Timothée Bationo, is a priest from Burkina Faso who celebrated two decades of priesthood in December 2024 and is currently the episcopal vicar for consecrated life of the Archdiocese of Beira. He is responsible for the Nazaré Training Centre.

ACN said the attack on the Catholic institution occurred at a sensitive moment in the political life of the Portuguese-speaking African nation, which has been wreaked by political upheaval following a contested presidential election. 

Mozambique, ACN said, also continues to suffer from attacks by the Al Shahab militants, especially in the country’s northern province of Cabo Delgado.

In its report, ACN quotes one of the victims as saying that the robbery incident was being handled by security officials, who he said are yet to provide details about the robbers, including their identity and what they might have stolen. 

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.