In a 2023 sermon reviewed by WIRED and delivered by the alleged shooter in Matadi, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he preached against abortion and called for different Christian churches to become 'one.' 'They don't know abortion is wrong, many churches,' he said. 'God gives the body gifts. To keep balance... God is going to raise up apostles and prophets in America, to correct His church.'
When Pope Francis presided over a Mass that incorporated elements of Congolese tradition in St. Peter's Basilica in 2019, it was seen as a sign of his enduring commitment to Roman Catholics across Africa.