The incident that occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on February 28 at the pastoral center located within the Immaculate Heart of Mary Morro Bento Parish had the assailant declare he wanted to kill Fr. Inácio Kahamba, a 51-year-old member of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CMF), also known as Claretians.
Thanks to the Priest’s quick response and the intervention of parishioners, the assailant, identified on social media as 27-year-old Alcides Piluka, was restrained and handed over to the police.
Speaking to ACI Africa on Tuesday, March 3, Fr. Kahamba recounted the harrowing events.
“After the morning Mass, the young man entered the office with his mouth covered by a hat. I asked him to identify himself, but he refused. When I invited him to step outside, he closed the door. He then drew a knife and said: Today I will kill you,” the Catholic Priest recounted.
He continued, “I immediately lunged at him, holding his arm firmly. The struggle was intense, hand-to-hand, inside the closed office. I managed to control the knife and prevent being harmed.”
After the deadly confrontation, Fr. Kahamba opened the door with his foot and pushed the assailant outside, where parishioners helped restrain him.
“The young man was a former altar server and had been involved with the Salesian Missionaries,” he explained.
Despite the trauma, the Catholic Priest carried on with his pastoral duties, presiding over a second Mass that same day.
He expressed gratitude for surviving the attack, saying, “It was humiliating to face an attempt on my life in my own office. But I thank God for His protection. We continue our mission.”
Fr. Kahamba described the incident as part of a worrying rise in attacks on churches and missionaries in Angola.
“This is the second recent case, following a hand-to-hand attack on an Italian priest in Benguela. Churches have been broken into, tabernacles desecrated, and now missionaries face confrontations in their own offices,” he said.
He attributed some of the causes to Angola’s recent history, noting that “during the One-Party period (1975–1991), the regime promoted atheism in schools, and catechists were imprisoned for ringing church bells. This mentality still fosters disrespect for the sacred and impunity.”
Fr. Kahamba also pointed to modern urban planning, which places churches outside city centers, reducing their role as spiritual anchors.
“During the colonial period, churches were at the heart of cities. Their absence now weakens social morality and facilitates violence,” he said.
The Catholic Priest faulted the assailant’s family for failing to take responsibility, saying, “Some even asked me to withdraw the complaint, showing how impunity and lack of moral education at home contribute to violence.”
He noted that security requires collaboration between families, communities, and authorities.
“Police alone cannot prevent crimes. Respect for law and morality must be reinforced at all levels,” Fr. Kahamba said.
He also issued a spiritual warning, urging collective penance and a return to God, especially ahead of the Pope’s upcoming visit to Angola.
Fr. Kahamba emphasized that faith, security, and respect for life are essential to preventing crime and restoring social trust.