Mozambique: Historic church reduced to rubble by jihadists

John Newton
May 5th, 2026

St Louis de Montfort Church

Source: ACN

A senior Church leader has demanded that the murders and mayhem end in northern Mozambique, after a historic church was reduced to rubble during a jihadist attack.

Archbishop Inácio Saure of Nampula, president of the Bishops' Conference of Mozambique, made the plea for peace following the assault on St Louis de Montfort Church in Minhoene village, near Meza, Cabo Delgado Province.

He said: "Let the destruction and the killing cease. Let the incitement of hatred against Christians cease - and may we not allow space for Islamophobia either, because the Muslims are not our enemies, they are our beloved brethren."

Archbishop Saure added that the attacks on Christians and churches "go completely against [Mozambique's] culture of peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths and our experience of living in peace".

According to information received by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) from local Church sources, no one was killed during the attack by militants linked to Islamic State: Central Africa Province last Thursday (30th April).

At around 4pm, armed fighters entered the parish, setting fire to the church, offices and the priests' residence. The kindergarten was also vandalised.

Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba told ACN: "It was a scene of terror. Homes, infrastructure, all destroyed, and the historic parish reduced to rubble. Civilians were captured and forced to watch and listen to speeches of hatred."

St Louis de Montfort parish was founded in 1946 and was one of the few centres of Catholicism in a Muslim-majority area.
It is currently served by missionary priests from Cameroon, who were not present when the terrorists struck.

Bishop Juliasse said: "The missionaries are safe, but the community remains in shock even after the attackers left the scene at nightfall."

The Islamist insurgency in Mozambique, which started in 2017, has reportedly claimed more than 6,300 lives, with at least 1 million displaced since it began.

The main terrorist group, known locally as Al Sunnah wa Jama'ah or Al-Shabab - which is not connected to the Al-Shabab group operating in Kenya and Somalia - is affiliated with Islamic State: Central Africa Province.

According to Church sources at least 118 Christian places of worship have also been destroyed by jihadists, including St Louis de Montfort Church.

Bishop Juliasse told ACN that local Christians need support from the wider Church: "We ask for attention and solidarity for the victims of Meza. For nine years, we have watched the insurgents burn chapels and churches in the Diocese of Pemba.
"But the faith of God's people will never burn, everyday it is rebuilt."

ACN is supporting the Church in Mozambique with projects including humanitarian aid and trauma support.