Congolese bishops express ‘spiritual closeness’ with victims of deadly floods in Kinshasa

At least 33 people have been reported dead and thousands displaced following April 5-6, 2025, flooding that cut access to over half of the Congolese capital of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. / Credit: Catholic Radio Elikya/Arsene/Radio Okapi

ACI Africa, Apr 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Catholic bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed their “spiritual closeness and solidarity” with victims of the recent floods and landslides that struck the capital city of Kinshasa and surrounding areas, leaving scores dead and causing widespread destruction.

At least 33 people were reported dead and thousands displaced following the April 5-6 flooding that cut access to over half of the capital. The floods reportedly occurred when the N’Djili River, which runs through the city of an estimated population of 17.8 million, burst its banks and submerged major roads.

In a statement shared with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, on April 9, members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) conveyed their compassion and assured their prayers for those affected by the devastating natural disaster, which followed torrential rains during the night of April 4-5.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic events caused by the torrential rains … resulting in the loss of human lives and significant material damage,” CENCO members said in their statement.

They expressed their “spiritual closeness and solidarity” with Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa, and Bishop Jean-Crispin Kimbeni of Kisantu. “With them, we share in the suffering of all those in the heavily affected areas,” they said.

“As shepherds of the people, we welcome the measures taken by the Congolese government and the arrangements put in place to assist and shelter those living in the flooded zones,” the statement said.

They also appealed to “humanitarian organizations and to the solidarity of all people of goodwill to support the victims of these disasters.”

“To our brothers and sisters in the areas affected by the floods and landslides, be assured of our compassion and our prayers,” the Church leaders said.

“Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Congo, may the risen Lord heal the wounds of the injured and restore courage and hope to all who have lost their belongings,” they continued. “May he console the bereaved families and grant eternal rest to the victims.”

Residents of Kinshasa are still counting their losses following the floods, describing the disaster as having torn the city “into two,” according to a local priest. Father Patrick Lonkoy Bolengu, a member of the Mill Hill Missionaries in the DRC, shared his firsthand account of the tragedy in an interview with ACI Africa. 

“As a Catholic priest, I have stood at the bedside of the sick, prayed beside the dying, and walked with the poor. But nothing prepared me for the sorrow I now witness in my beloved city, Kinshasa,” Bolengu said in an April 9 interview with ACI Africa.

“‎On the morning of Saturday, April 5, heavy rains poured down from the heavens not as a blessing but as floods that swallowed homes, claimed lives, and left a trail of anguish across our capital,” he recalled.

“For two days, Kinshasa was torn in two, its people stranded, helpless, grieving,” he explained. “Today, 33 of our brothers and sisters have died, 46 are hospitalized, and 2,956 have been forced into temporary shelters.”

“The cries of children echo through flooded streets. Mothers search for what little remains of their homes. The elderly sit in silence, waiting, some in despair, others in prayer,” he said.

On April 9, Ambongo paid a solidarity visit to the flood victims, particularly in Ndanu, one of the most severely affected neighborhoods.

The cardinal, accompanied by members of the Catholic community and numerous volunteers, began his visit at a local parish that had suffered extensive damage.

“We are here to share in the pain of our brothers and sisters, to offer them solidarity and hope in these difficult times,” Ambongo said during his tour.

As he moved through the damaged streets of Ndanu, he stopped to speak with families who had lost their homes, many partially or completely destroyed by the flooding. Survivors shared their grief and stories of loss but also expressed gratitude and a sense of renewed hope brought by the cardinal’s presence.

“It’s a gesture from the heart. He came to share in our suffering, to comfort us. We hope his involvement will inspire political leaders to take concrete action to prevent such tragedies in the future,” one resident said.

In 2024, Congo faced its worst flooding in six decades, according to UNICEF and other United Nations agencies. More than 300 people died, and 280,000 households were displaced. In 2023, more than 400 people died in floods; in 2022, rains and floods killed more than 160.

The devasting floods come as the DRC battles with a growing humanitarian crisis due to the incursion of the March 23 Movement rebels, who have made inroads into the Central African nation, with significant gains already made in the mineral-rich eastern region.

Researchers at Denis Hurley Peace Institute of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference have warned that should the Rwanda-backed invasion continue, DRC risks a “complete breakdown.”

Amid the challenges, including the seemingly never-ending armed conflicts in the poverty-stricken Plateaux de Bateke, Bolengu expressed his commitment to be a voice for the voiceless.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.