Mozambique: Father Fernão Magalhães, MDM candidate to Nampula governor, has died

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Mozambique: Father Fernão Magalhães, MDM candidate to Nampula governor, has died

1:49 CAT | 11 Nov 2024

File photo: Notícias

Father Fernão Magalhães, catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Nampula, who was the head of list for the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) and candidate for governor of Nampula province in the October 9 elections, died of unknown causes between Friday and Saturday.

According to O País, Fernão Magalhães Raúl, who ran in the last elections in Nampula as the MDM’s top candidate for the position of provincial governor, has died. His body was found in his living room, with no signs of violence.

Father Raúl lived in the Namutequeliua neighbourhood on the outskirts of Nampula city. He lived alone with only domestic workers.

His younger sister, who lives nearby, suspected something was wrong when, by around noon on Saturday, she had still not received any signal from her brother.

“I was trying to call and the phone was off, but last night [Friday] he had gone out, came back and came in. The doors were all locked. I called Dad to bring the keys so I could open these two doors. Dad came, opened the door and when we went into the living room we found the body,” Anatércia Magalhães Raúl related.

Secretary-general of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique Leonor Lopes, visibly shaken by the news, is content to let the authorities clarify the cause of death.

“These are subsequent situations that we can later try to find out. The important thing was to know if what had been reported as news was true or not – if he was no longer alive. We will find out the rest. We will see – there are entities that are specifically responsible for finding out,” noted Lopes, who rushed to the priest’s house to monitor proceedings and comfort the grieving family.

Technicians from the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) were at the scene on Saturday afternoon, carrying out expert examination and finally removing the body. It is assumed that the death occurred on Friday night, the scene suggesting that he was watching television before his death.

Father Fernão Magalhães Raúl challenged the Catholic Church that prohibits clergy from being politically active, and he understood this very well.

“The Church has a mission, and the mission is evangelization. Since this central message is to spread the message of Christ, of peace, peaceful coexistence, solidarity, unity, values that the Church defends, it is important that the Church observes, in its relationship with the political community, the principle of neutrality, so that it is not divided,” he told our reporter at the start of the electoral campaign last August.

And even so, Father Magalhaes agreed to present himself as the candidate of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique for the post of governor of the province of Nampula, in the elections of October 9th.

The Catholic Church opposed this, and threatened to remove his right to parish leadership, but the priest did not withdraw his candidacy.

“There are incompatibilities in the eyes of the people and according to the rules of neutrality of the Church itself, but it is a question of freedom of choice. There is a choice and the choice is to be on the side of the people, to help the people grow in the awareness of citizenship necessary to fight together to solve the problems of Mozambique, and of Nampula specifically,” he explained.

Father Magalhaes (1970 – 2024) was unable to fulfil his mission in politics, but as a priest will be greatly missed.

Foi encontrado sem vida na tarde de ontem, sábado, 9 de Novembro, o Padre Fernão Magalhães Raúl, cabeça-de-lista do Movimento Democrático de Moçambique (MDM) para o cargo de governador da província de Nampula nas eleições de 9 de Outubro passado. pic.twitter.com/3nHTWxhLeF

— CDD – Centro para Democracia e Direitos Humanos (@CDD_Moz) November 10, 2024