An armed group linked to the Islamic State on Sunday killed dozens of worshippers at a Catholic church in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo while they were participating in a prayer vigil.
According to the BBC, members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) stormed a church in the town of Komanda, where they shot and killed the worshippers, then looted and set fire to nearby businesses.
Komanda is in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an area rich in minerals and whose control is disputed by several armed groups.
Dieudonne Duranthabo, a coordinator of civil society in Komanda, told the Associated Press: “More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside [the church] and we have recorded at least three charred bodies and several houses burned. But the search is continuing.”
Aime Lokana Dhego, a local priest, told AFP: “We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured. Some young people were kidnapped; we have no news of them.”
On the other hand, Radio Okapi estimated the number of dead at 43.
Italy Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Sunday condemned the massacre through his X account: “I express the strongest condemnation of the attack on a church in Komanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a terrorist group linked to ISIS killed more than 40 civilians.”
“Places of worship must always be preserved and religious freedom must be protected. Italy stands in solidarity with the families of the victims and the Congolese people,” he added.
What is the ADF?
The ADF emerged in Uganda in the 1990s, according to the BBC, accusing the government of persecuting Muslims, but is now based across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they regularly attack civilians of all religions, as in Uganda.
Vatican News said the ADF is “responsible for the murder of thousands of people. Two weeks ago they killed 66 people in the Irumu area.”
Jamil Mukulu, a Christian convert to Islam, is the founder of the ADF, which in early 2024, according to Vatican News, perpetrated an attack also in the eastern part of the country in which at least eight people were killed, five of them while praying, and 30 others were taken hostage.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Seminarians at Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Nigeria’s Kaduna state where four students were kidnapped and one, Michael Nnadi, was killed in 2020. / Credit: Good Shepherd Major Seminary Kaduna/ Facebook
ACI Africa, Jan 26, 2024 / 11:40 am (CNA).
Last year, 2023, was a difficult year for Brother Peter Olarewaju, a postulant at the Benedictine monastery in Nigeria’s Ilorin Diocese who was kidnapped alongside two others at the monastery. Olarewaju underwent different kinds of torture and witnessed the murder of his companion, Brother Godwin Eze.
After his release, Olarewaju said his kidnapping was a blessing, as it had strengthened his faith. He even said that he is now prepared to die for his faith.
“I am prepared to die a martyr in this dangerous country. I am ready any moment to die for Jesus. I feel this very strongly,” Olarewaju said in an interview with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, on Nov. 26, 2023, days after he was set free by suspected Fulani kidnappers.
The late Brother Godwin Eze who was kidnapped from the Benedictine monastery in Nigeria’s Ilorin Diocese and murdered by his kidnappers in October 2023. Credit: Benedictine monastery, Eruku
The monk’s testimony is not an isolated case in Nigeria, where kidnapping from seminaries, monasteries, and other places of religious formation has been on the rise. While some victims of the kidnappings have been killed, those who survived the ordeal have shared that they have come back stronger — and ready to die for their faith.
Seminarian Melchior Maharini, a Tanzanian who was kidnapped alongside a priest from the Missionaries of Africa community in the Diocese of Minna in August 2023, said the suffering he endured during the three weeks he was held captive strengthened his faith. “I felt my faith grow stronger. I accepted my situation and surrendered everything to God,” he told ACI Africa on Sept. 1, 2023.
Father Paul Sanogo (left) and Seminarian Melchior Maharini (right) were kidnapped from their community of Missionaries of Africa in Nigeria’s Diocese of Minna. Credit: Vatican Media
Many other seminarians in Nigeria have been kidnapped by Boko Haram militants, Fulani herdsmen, and other bandit groups operating in Africa’s most populous nation.
In August 2023, seminarian David Igba told ACI Africa that he stared death in the face when a car in which he was traveling on his way to the market in Makurdi was sprayed with bullets by Fulani herdsmen.
Seminarian Na’aman Danlami died when the Fulanis attacked St. Raphael Fadan Kamantan Parish on the night of Sept. 7, 2023. Credit: Photo courtesy of Aid to the Church in Need
In September 2023, seminarian Na’aman Danlami was burned alive in a botched kidnapping incident in the Diocese of Kafanchan. A few days earlier, another seminarian, Ezekiel Nuhu, from the Archdiocese of Abuja, who had gone to spend his holidays in Southern Kaduna, was kidnapped.
Two years prior, in October 2021, Christ the King Major Seminary of Kafanchan Diocese was attacked and three seminarians were kidnapped.
Seminarian David Igba during a pastoral visit at Scared Heart Udei of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi. Credit: David Igba
In one attack that attracted global condemnation in 2020, seminarian Michael Nnadi was brutally murdered after he was kidnapped alongside three others from Good Shepherd Major Seminary in the Diocese of Kaduna. Those behind the kidnapping confessed that they killed Nnadi because he would not stop preaching to them, fearlessly calling them to conversion.
After Nnadi’s murder, his companions who survived the kidnapping proceeded to St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos in Nigeria’s Plateau state, where they courageously continued with their formation.
The tomb of seminarian Michael Nnadi, who was brutally murdered after he was kidnapped alongside three others from the Good Shepherd Major Seminary in the Catholic Diocese of Kaduna in 2020. Credit: Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of a Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna
As Christian persecution rages in Nigeria, seminary instructors in the country have shared with ACI Africa that there is an emerging spirituality in Nigerian seminaries that many may find difficult to grasp: the spirituality of martyrdom.
They say that in Nigeria, those who embark on priestly formation are continuously being made to understand that their calling now entails being ready to defend the faith to the point of death. More than ever before, the seminarians are being reminded that they should be ready to face persecution, including the possibility of being kidnapped and even killed.
Father Peter Hassan, rector of St. Augustine Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Jos, Plateau state, said that seminaries, just like the wider Nigerian society, have come to terms with “the imminence of death” for being Christian.
Father Peter Hassan, rector of St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria, walks with an unnamed companion. Credit: Father Peter Hassan
“Nigerian Christians have been victims of violence of apocalyptic proportions for nearly half a century. I can say that we have learned to accept the reality of imminent death,” Hassan said in a Jan. 12 interview with ACI Africa.
He added: “Nevertheless, it is quite inspiring and comforting to see the many young men who are still ready to embrace a life that will certainly turn them into critically endangered species. Yet these same young men are willing to preach the gospel of peace and embrace the culture of dialogue for peaceful coexistence.”
Shortly after Nnadi’s kidnapping and killing, St. Augustine Major Seminary opened its doors to the three seminarians who survived the kidnapping.
Hassan told ACI Africa that the presence of the three former students of Good Shepherd Major Seminary was “a blessing” to the community of St. Augustine Major Seminary.
“Their presence in our seminary was a blessing to our seminarians, a wake-up call to the grim reality that not even the very young are spared by those mindless murderers,” Hassan said.
Back at Good Shepherd, seminarians have remained resilient, enrolling in large numbers even after the 2020 kidnapping and Nnadi’s murder.
Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna, Nigeria. Credit: Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of a Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna
In an interview with ACI Africa, Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, the rector of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, said that instructors at the Catholic institution, which has a current enrollment of 265 seminarians, make it clear that being a priest in Nigeria presents the seminarians with the danger of being kidnapped or killed.
ACI Africa asked Sakaba whether or not the instructors discuss with the seminarians the risks they face, including that of being kidnapped, or even killed, to which the priest responded: “Yes, as formators, we have the duty to take our seminarians through practical experiences — both academic, spiritual, and physical experiences. We share this reality of persecution with them, but for them to understand, we connect the reality of Christian persecution in Nigeria to the experiences of Jesus. This way, we feel that it would be easier for them to not only have the strength to face what they are facing but to also see meaning in their suffering.”
“Suffering is only meaningful if it is linked with the pain of Jesus,” the priest said. “The prophet Isaiah reminds us that ‘by his wounds, we are healed.’ Jesus also teaches us that unless the grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it will remain a single grain, but that it is only when it falls and dies that it yields a rich harvest. Teachings such as these are the ones that deepen our resilience in the face of persecution.”
Seminarians and their instructors at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria. Credit: Father Peter Hassan
Sakaba spoke of the joy of those who look forward to “going back to God in a holy way.”
“Whatever happens, we will all go back to God. How joyful it is to go back to God in a holy way, in a way of sacrifice.” he said. “This holiness is accepting this cross, this pain. Jesus accepted the pain of Calvary, and that led him to his resurrection. Persecution purifies the individual for them to become the finished product for God. I believe that these attacks are God’s project, and no human being can stop God’s work.”
However, the rector clarified that those who enroll at the seminary do not go out seeking danger.
“People here don’t go out putting themselves in situations of risk,” he said. “But when situations such as these happen, the teachings of Jesus and his persecution give us courage to face whatever may come our way.”
Sakaba said that although priestly formation in Nigeria is embracing the “spirituality of martyrdom,” persecution in the West African country presents “a difficult reality.”
“It is difficult to get used to pain. It is difficult to get used to the issues of death … to get familiar with death,” he said. “No one chooses to go into danger just because other people are suffering; it is not part of our nature. But in a situation where you seem not to have an alternative, the grace of God kicks in to strengthen you to face the particular situation.”
Sakaba said that since the 2020 attack at Good Shepherd Major Seminary, the institution has had an air of uncertainty. He said that some of the kidnappers who were arrested in the incident have been released, a situation he said has plunged the major seminary into “fear of the unknown.”
“It hasn’t been easy for us since the release,” Sabaka told ACI Africa. “The community was thrown into confusion because of the unknown. We don’t know what will happen next. We don’t know when they will come next or what they will do to us. We don’t know who will be taken next.”
Seminarians at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria, during a Marian procession. Credit: Father Peter Hassan
In the face of that, however, Sabaka said the resilience of the seminary community has been admirable. “God has been supporting, encouraging, and leading us. His grace assisted us to continue to practice our faith,” he said.
The jihadist attacks, which continue unabated in communities surrounding the seminary, do not make the situation easier.
Church at the Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna, Nigeria. Credit: Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna
“Every attack that happens outside our community reminds us of our own 2020 experience. We are shocked, and although we remain deeply wounded, we believe that God has been leading us,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.
Nairobi, Kenya, Aug 19, 2017 / 04:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With violent protests and several deaths in the wake of Kenya’s Aug. 8 presidential election, the nation’s bishops have lamented the violence and called for respect for the democratic process.
The re-election of Uhuru Kenyatta was announced Aug. 11, and international observers called the vote free and fair. Kenyatta’s challenger, Raila Odinga, claims the election was rigged.
At least 24 persons have been killed during violent protests in the wake of the vote, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. Anti-riot police shot protesters, and some children are reported to have been struck and killed by stray bullets.
“Dear Kenyans, to lose even one life because of elections is abominable,” the Kenyan bishops wrote in their Aug. 17 statement signed by Bishop Philip Anyolo of Homa Bay, chairman of the bishops’ conference.
“To injure and maim anybody is unacceptable. This must never be allowed in any civilized society like Kenya.”
The bishops castigated the riot police who confronted protesters, saying their actions resulted in “painful loss of life, the barricading of roads and the destruction of property.”
They said the violence was a reminder “of the post-election violence of 2007/2008 that we, as a Nation, had vowed never again to experience.”
Kenya’s 2007 elections resulted in nationwide ethnic violence that killed 1,300 people and displaced as many as 700,000. Odinga was also the challenger in that election.
Odinga has called for peaceful protest and strikes, and has said he will mount a legal challenge to the results in the courts. He claims computer fraud had given extra votes to Kenyatta.
The choice was welcomed by Kenya’s bishops, who said, “All the aggrieved parties should use the legal means as provided in the Constitution to seek redress. It is only by respecting and having recourse to the established Constitutional institutions that we, as Kenyans, are able to enhance and strengthen the rule of law and the democratic process in our country.”
“As we await the determination of the disputed Presidential elections by the Supreme Court, we call upon our Government leaders, beginning with the President to take the lead in uniting the country.”
They urged “all Kenyans to avoid anything that incites others to violent protests.”
At a press conference presenting the bishops’ message, Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong stressed the need for the courts not to rubber stamp automatically the election outcome, saying: “We call upon the judiciary and other constitutional institutions to jealously protect their independence and discharge their mandate justly, in a fair and impartial manner, to act without any favour and not to give in to any form of coercion or intimidation.”
This, he said, “is the only way these institutions will earn the trust and confidence of all Kenyans.”
Bishop Anyola added that the “ugly divisions that we witness every election year, the tribal voting pattern that emerges, the hatred that is triggered by the winners and losers syndrome, and the win-it-all mentality that characterizes Kenyan politics are pointers to an electoral system that needs to be reviewed.”
The bishops’ statement commended citizens’ participation in the election, saying it reflected a “sense of patriotism and love for our nation.”
“We commend this country to prayer for peace, justice and prosperity,” they concluded.
The BBC news report on this incident ever so carefully avoided mentioning that it happened at a Catholic church although they did quote a priest’s statement. The violence was, of course, attributed to economic causes.
But a UPI story on the incident mentioned “Islamic” group and “Catholic Church” in the lede paragraph. Interesting contrast, eh what?
When Islam conquers, other faiths are crushed. The Reconquista in Iberia is one of the very few exceptions but look for that victory to be reversed in another generation or so.
This has been going on for centuries. All these areas were once majority Christian: Egypt (90% Copts until the religion of peace came in the seventh century); Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinian territory, Syria (where Christians were first called Christians!), Anatolia (today’s Turkey), North Africa (the land of Tertullian and St. Cyprian of Carthage, St. Athanasius of Alexandria and St. Augustine of Hippo!)…there were even Christian (and Jewish) enclaves in Arabia. Then came the religion of peace in the seventh century and in a century turned all these places into religion of peace majority. In Egypt alone, Christian now make up less than 10% and continue to be persecuted and d oppressed). Europe will be next in a few decades just from demographics. See below historian R. Ibrahim account of the persecution of Christians just in the last few decades. Lamentably, neither most of the media nor even CWR mention all of these:
‘We Were Commanded [by Allah] to Kill You!’ The Muslim Persecution of Christians, June 2025 https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2025/07/28/we-were-commanded-by-allah-to-kill-you-the-muslim-persecution-of-christians-june-2025/
This is what you get when you get into bed with Muslims. Sorry, but they commit barbaric acts. What’s so disappointing is we have a hierarchy that bends over backwards to placate barbarism. Guess what the result of that is.
Some consider it the religion of peace! Others view it as a typical man made religion.
We worship the Prince of Peace.
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
This happens when Muslims are only 14 per cent of the population of Uganda.
Uganda would commit no injustice if it were to outlaw Islam altogether.
The BBC news report on this incident ever so carefully avoided mentioning that it happened at a Catholic church although they did quote a priest’s statement. The violence was, of course, attributed to economic causes.
But a UPI story on the incident mentioned “Islamic” group and “Catholic Church” in the lede paragraph. Interesting contrast, eh what?
When Islam conquers, other faiths are crushed. The Reconquista in Iberia is one of the very few exceptions but look for that victory to be reversed in another generation or so.
Someone once said that BBC stands for “Broadcasting Before Confirming. ”
The BBC’s slant just keeps getting more ridiculous and the reporting more selective.
This has been going on for centuries. All these areas were once majority Christian: Egypt (90% Copts until the religion of peace came in the seventh century); Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinian territory, Syria (where Christians were first called Christians!), Anatolia (today’s Turkey), North Africa (the land of Tertullian and St. Cyprian of Carthage, St. Athanasius of Alexandria and St. Augustine of Hippo!)…there were even Christian (and Jewish) enclaves in Arabia. Then came the religion of peace in the seventh century and in a century turned all these places into religion of peace majority. In Egypt alone, Christian now make up less than 10% and continue to be persecuted and d oppressed). Europe will be next in a few decades just from demographics. See below historian R. Ibrahim account of the persecution of Christians just in the last few decades. Lamentably, neither most of the media nor even CWR mention all of these:
‘We Were Commanded [by Allah] to Kill You!’ The Muslim Persecution of Christians, June 2025
https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2025/07/28/we-were-commanded-by-allah-to-kill-you-the-muslim-persecution-of-christians-june-2025/
This is what you get when you get into bed with Muslims. Sorry, but they commit barbaric acts. What’s so disappointing is we have a hierarchy that bends over backwards to placate barbarism. Guess what the result of that is.
Islam is a religion/political movement of conquest.
We need to get that straight, preferably sooner rather than later.