Like a pilgrim of hope, Consolata missionary Bishop Osório Citora Afonso, until then auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Maputo, left the capital of Mozambique, traveling more than 1,500 kilometers toward the north of the country. His destination was the city of Quelimane, in the province of Zambézia, with a new mission: to begin his episcopal ministry as pastor of that local church.
By Jaime C. Patias *
Arriving at the first community of his new diocese, the bishop kissed the ground as a sign of respect and gratitude. In the city of Quelimane, to those who gathered to welcome him, Bishop Citora Afonso addressed them in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Deliverance on Thursday, August 28, 2025. Bishop Osório Citora launched an appeal for spiritual solidarity. The bishop emphasized the need for a comprehensive pastoral approach, which he described as a “pilgrimage together,” noting that “this must be done by all of us as an outgoing Church.”
“This pilgrimage continues. It is undertaken by all of us, so that we can walk together. Our journey is to walk together, to be together as brothers and sisters; a pilgrimage that does not end here, where we were welcomed, but which will continue,” he stated. “May the Lord grant us this grace to always walk together, enlightened by the Word of God. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything, for the warm welcome. I ask you to pray for me, for this mission of mine, this mission of ours,” he added.
Bishop Osorio Citora was appointed Ordinary Bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane by Pope Leo XIV on July 25. He is the fourth bishop since its creation in 1954. The diocese had been vacant since August 2023, following the transfer of Bishop Hilário da Cruz Massinga to the Diocese of Inhambane.
The Beginning of His Episcopal Ministry in Quelimane
The installation of Bishop Osório Citora as Bishop of Quelimane took place on Sunday, August 31, 2025. The Eucharistic celebration was opened by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Beira, Most Rev. Cláudio Dalla Zuana. After the installation rite, Bishop Osorio presided over the Holy Mass.
The bishops of the dioceses of Tete, Lichinga, Gurué, Maputo, and the diocese of Manzini in Eswatini concelebrated, along with a large number of priests. Several religious sisters and a multitude of faithful, as well as members of the local and national government, participated in the Eucharist.
“At this moment when I am called to deliver the first homily to the Holy People of God in Quelimane, I am reminded of an unprecedented event in the history of the Holy People of God, narrated by the Evangelist Luke (Luke 4:14-30), when Jesus, entering the synagogue of Nazareth, gave the inaugural address that marked the beginning of his public ministry,” said Bishop Osório Citora in his first homily as Bishop of Quelimane.
He then highlighted two elements of this Gospel passage: “The first is that Jesus is guided by the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, Jesus is always guided by the Spirit. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he anointed me and sent me.’ The second element,” the bishop continued, “underscores that Jesus is inspired and enlightened by the Word of God. At the beginning of our pastoral ministry, we want to emphasize the centrality of the Word of God in all the activity of our diocesan Church,” he recalled.
Commenting on the Gospel of the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Lk 14:1, 7-14), Msgr. Osório Citora explained that “the banquet of the Kingdom of God has a very different seating arrangement than that of official earthly dinners. It is the last, the poor, those who count least on the scale of ‘social favor’ who receive preferential treatment. Jesus turns to the host and suggests that he modify the guest list, including the poor, the meek, the lame, and the blind,” he stated.
The bishop concluded his homily by recalling that “the Lord challenges us to choose gestures, even small ones, shaped by a free and selfless relationship with people and things. We must learn to be humble in social service, in our work, and in the responsibilities we assume in the Church and beyond. It is this logic of humble service that we should also transmit to the sons and daughters of God.”
The Diocese of Quelimane was established in 1954 and has Our Lady of Deliverance as its patron. The diocese’s territory extends across 57,798 square kilometers and currently has 29 parishes and missions, approximately 1,930 Christian communities with 1,366,593 Catholics, according to 2025 statistics.
Brief biography
Osório Citora Afonso, IMC, born on May 6, 1972, in Ribaue (Nampula), was ordained a priest in November 2002 after completing his theological studies at the Saint Eugene Mazenod Theological Seminary in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
As a priest, he held various positions, including assistant pastor and treasurer of the parish of Saint Hilary in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, formator and treasurer of the Kinshasa Theological Seminary, and local collaborator at the Apostolic Nunciature in the DRC, among other services. He earned a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and served as an official at the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.
In September 2023, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo and consecrated Bishop in January 2024. He is the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique (CEM).
* Father Jaime C. Patias, IMC, Communications Office. With information from Father Cassiano Kalima.
