Islamic State Burns Down 80 Year Old Catholic Church in Mozambique: The Faith of Gods People Will Never Burn

St Louis de Montfort Parish Destroyed in Cabo Delgado as Bishop Antonio Juliasse Vows Mozambique Church Will Endure

Islamic State linked militants have torched the historic St Louis de Montfort parish in Minhoene village, Cabo Delgado Province, northern Mozambique on 30 April 2026. Founded in 1946, the church was burned, its kindergarten damaged, and the priests' residence destroyed by fighters known locally as Al Sunnah wa Jama'ah or Al-Shabab.

"It was a scene of terror. Homes, infrastructure, all destroyed," said Bishop António Juliasse. "But the faith of God's people will never burn."

Mozambique Christians Endure Eight Year Islamic State Insurgency in Cabo Delgado

Archbishop Inácio Saure, President of Mozambique's Bishops' Conference, called for an end to the religious violence and warned against any retaliatory hostility toward Muslims: "The Muslims are not our enemies, they are our beloved brethren." He noted the attacks contradict Mozambique's history of religious coexistence.

Bishop Juliasse reported that civilians were detained and forced to listen to extremist speeches before the militants set fire to the church.

The Cameroonian missionary priests were absent. No deaths were reported, but the community remains "deeply shaken." Since 2017, the Cabo Delgado insurgency has killed over 6,300 people and displaced approximately one million.

The Crusader's Opinion

Eight years of Islamic State affiliated insurgency in northern Mozambique. Six thousand three hundred dead. One million displaced. And the world has barely noticed because the victims live in Cabo Delgado, not Connecticut. Bishop Juliasse has chosen the right answer. The Church will not burn. The Gospel will not be silenced. But Western governments must finally recognise that Mozambique is one of the front lines of the global war against the Christian Church and respond with intelligence, security cooperation, and the resources that match the scale of the suffering.

Take Action

• Donate: Aid to the Church in Need, rebuilding Cabo Delgado churches
• Pray: For Bishop Juliasse, Archbishop Saure, and the people of Minhoene
• Contact: Your senator demanding US intelligence support to Mozambican forces
• Read: The Mozambique Bishops' Conference statements at cem-mozambique.org
• Share: Juliasse's quote and ask "Why is the world ignoring Cabo Delgado?"