A Catholic bishop in Mozambique has appealed for international solidarity following a fresh wave of jihadist violence that saw a church set on fire in the troubled northern province of Cabo Delgado.
According to Vatican News, militants attacked a parish in the village of Meza in Ancuabe district, burning the church, the Piarist fathers’ residence, and a kindergarten. The attack is part of a long-running insurgency that has plagued the region for more than eight years, leaving over 6,200 people dead and displacing more than 1.3 million.
Speaking to Italy’s Avvenire, Sr. Laura Malnati of the Comboni Missionary Sisters described the incident as devastating. She explained that militants linked to Islamic State, operating locally as Ahlu al-Sunna wa al-Jama’a, stormed the village on the afternoon of April 30, setting buildings ablaze and destroying homes.
“The structures of the village were set on fire,” Sister Malnati recounted, noting that the missionaries were able to flee in time before the attackers arrived.
The parish, dedicated to Saint Louis de Montfort and established in 1946, has long stood as a symbol of Catholic presence in the region.
In a message shared with Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo of Pemba described the attack as “a scene of genuine terror,” with the church reduced to rubble and civilians forced to witness acts of violence and propaganda.
Despite the destruction, the bishop affirmed the resilience of the faithful: “The missionaries are safe, but the community is in shock. Even so, the faith of this people will never be destroyed.”
He renewed his call for global attention and support, stressing that such attacks are not isolated incidents. “For nearly nine years, chapels and churches in the diocese have been attacked, destroyed, and set on fire,” he said.
Cabo Delgado remains one of the poorest regions in the country, despite its vast reserves of natural gas and mineral wealth. According to the UN refugee agency, more than 110,000 people were displaced in 2025 alone due to ongoing violence.
