The Marcello Tunasi affair: when the truth becomes a public fight
The sermon of truth
This Sunday, August 3, 2025, within the church premises the compassion of Kinshasa, the atmosphere was particularly tense. Pastor Marcello Jérémie Tunasi, usually eloquent and serene, was about to deliver one of the most personal sermons in his career. His theme: “There is a time to be silent and a time to speak”. For this respected man of God, the time of silence was over.
Faced with his congregation, the 26 -year -old spiritual leader of ministry has broken a silence of several months to respond to the charges that have been circulating since his remarriage with Esther Aïcha, celebrated on July 23, 2025 in Brussels. Only a year after the tragic death of his white wife Odia Kandolo, which occurred on June 12, 2024 in Türkiye, this union had triggered an unprecedented media and family storm.
A succession that divides
At the heart of the conflict is a question as old as it is painful: money and heritage. According to the revelations of the pastor, it all started with a gesture of love. Wishing to honor the memory of his deceased wife, Marcello Tunasi had undertaken the construction of a house for his mother-in-law on one of his plots in Bibwa, in the suburbs of Kinshasa.
This was to be a project of $ 250,000, funded by its own means, quickly turned into a claim of $ 800,000 from the paternal family of Blanche. The request was clear: the planned house should not be counted in the inheritance, because it was considered “a gift that Blanche had promised”. The family therefore demanded an additional sum to reach the total amount requested.
Even more disturbing, some family members had challenged the legal designation of Marcello Tunasi as liquidator of his own property, demanding that this role be attributed to his mother-in-law. A request that the pastor categorically refused: “How can I be alive and is someone else who will liquidate my goods?” »»
The inventory of controversy
Faced with the impasse, a legal inventory was launched in accordance with the family code in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results of this independent expertise have revealed a reality very different from family expectations: the real share of the inheritance of Blanche is estimated at less than 150,000 dollars, an amount lower than the pastor had voluntarily proposed at the start.
This difference is explained by the heritage structuring of the Tunasi couple: some goods had been completely put in the name of the children, others had been given to charities. In particular, their limit plot had been sold to the orphanage at “a gift price”, reducing the inheritance mass.
The most serious accusations
But the case has taken on a darker dimension with accusations of a completely different nature. The pastor reports threats received from South Africa, where an anonymous correspondent claimed to have vocal recordings of conversations between Blanche and his mother. These conversations, out of context, were used to tarnish the couple’s image and suggest matrimonial dysfunctions.
Even more serious, implicit accusations of responsibility in the death of Blanche were formulated. Faced with these insinuations, Marcello Tunasi delivered a moving testimony: “How could I kill my children’s mother?” Deprive Tabiri from his mom? Even someone who has just converted could not do such a thing. »»
The pastor reported the circumstances of the death: Blanche had left for Türkiye on Saturday for surgery, he joined it on Sunday to sign the necessary documents. She died of cardiac arrest in the hospital, following post-operative complications. The rapid repatriation of the body, often mentioned as a suspect, explains according to him by his financial means and his medical relations.
The meeting with Esther: a disputed Providence
The other component of the controversy concerns his relationship with Esther Aïcha. The pastor provided a detailed version of their meeting, mediated by the prophet Ezekiel Mulumba. According to his testimony, This relationship would have started several months after the death of Blanchein a context of spiritual and psychological support.
Esther Aïcha, of Malian nationality with Lebanese origins, lived in Canada where she exercised responsibilities in the Christian ministry. Multilingual preacher, moderator and performer, she would first have agreed to pray for the mourning pastor before a more intimate relationship develops.
The pastor insisted on the progressive and transparent character of this relationship, and mentions the involvement of his children, his spiritual advisers and even his parents before the celebration of marriage. An approach which he presents as respectful of conveniences and the divine will.
A theological and practical defense
In his defense, Marcello Tunasi mobilized biblical references to justify his public speaking. Citing the example of the apostle Paul who “justified himself” before the King Agrippa in Acts 26, he legitimized his right to respond to the accusations: “There is a time you must be silent and God defends you. But another time you have to speak so that God defends you through your own words. »»
This theological approach is accompanied by a criticism of traditional teachings that systematically advocate silence in the face of accusations. For the pastor, this unbalanced doctrine pushes victims of slander in passivity, allowing detractors to prosper with impunity.
Beyond material and personal aspects, the pastor presents this affair as a spiritual fight. He evokes “the spirit of the leopard”, a demonic entity which he says he has seen in vision and which would have declared to him: “Do you want to fight me? This country is run by a leopard spirit, a nasty spirit. »»
This spiritual dimension allows the pastor to contextualize the attacks suffered in a broader framework of persecution of the men of God. An interpretation that finds echo with its congregation, accustomed to this type of teaching.
The impact on the religious community
The Marcello Tunasi affair goes beyond the personal framework to question practices and expectations around popular religious leadership. It raises fundamental questions about the management of the privacy of spiritual leaders, appropriate mourning times, and financial transparency in ministries.
The reaction of the Church The compassion testifies to a remarkable fidelity to its pastor. Despite the controversies, the faithful continue to flock to cults, demonstrating a confidence maintained in their spiritual leader. This loyalty may be explained by the 26 years of impeccable ministry of the pastor and by his ability to maintain a coherent speech in the face of the accusations.
Persistent shadow areas
Despite the explanations provided, certain questions remain unanswered.
- The accusations concerning the authenticity of the Blanche death certificate were not directly discussed by the pastor during his intervention on August 3.
- Likewise, the exact chronology of her relationship with Esther continues to debate, certain sources evoking engagement in September 2024.
These gray areas fuel speculation and maintain a part of mystery around the case. Although the pastor claims that his relationship with Esther would have started several months after the death of Blanche – first with support prayers before evolving towards a more intimate relationship – this chronology raises questions within his community.
Some faithful question the coherence between the lessons of the pastor and his own conduct. In his preaching, Marcello Tunasi usually recommends taking the time necessary to know the person with whom we want to get married, and advises to avoid remarriage as long as we have not mourned the previous relationship. Likewise, he regularly urges his faithful to ask God to master their desires and their carnal impulses.
This apparent contradiction between preached doctrine and personal practice challenges part of the Christian community. Some observers wonder if this situation is not likely to weaken the credibility of his future preaching, the pastor seeming, in this particular circumstance, not having applied the principles he usually teaches in his congregation.
If the pastor manages to maintain the cohesion of his community and to demonstrate the legitimacy of his actions, this test could strengthen his credibility and his influence.
Conversely, the persistence of doubts and the emergence of new compromising elements could permanently weaken his ministry. The evolution of the legal proceedings concerning the succession, as well as the possible revelations promised by the pastor for the coming months, will be decisive.
This case also reveals the specific challenges faced by contemporary African religious leaders, taken between family traditions, community expectations and modernity. It questions the mechanisms of regulation and control in religious organizations, often marked by a strong personalization of power.
The Marcello Tunasi affair illustrates the complexity of human relations when they unfold in public space. It shows how family grievances can turn into media controversies, how inheritance issues can become public credibility issues.
The pastor opted for transparency and direct confrontation with his detractors. This daring strategy reveals his confidence in the veracity of his arguments as well as in the loyalty of his community. It is part of a contemporary communication approach, where silence is no longer automatically interpreted as a brand of wisdom.
This approach nevertheless raises questions about the authenticity and exhaustiveness of this claimed transparency. As the pastor himself had underlined in his previous preaching, the wife of Christ-metaphor designating the Church-regularly suffers from controversial behaviors of his religious leaders. These rehearsals of scandals and controversies gradually shake the credibility of the ecclesiastical institution and contribute to the distance from many faithful from their faith.
In this context, the question arises whether the transparency announced by the pastor will be really complete or if it will remain selective, revealing only the favorable elements for his defense.
The future will say if this approach will appease tensions and fully restore serenity around the ministry of compassion. In the meantime, this case will remain a case of school on the management of reputation crises in the contemporary religious context.
Sources
- TV compassion, “PS Marcello Tunasi _ Sun 08/03/2025”, YouTube, August 3, 2025
- Dunia News, “Marcello Tunasi affair: between spiritual testimony and family revelations”, August 1, 2025
- Actualite.CD, “Marcelo Tunasi: ‘I did not kill the mother of my children'”, August 3, 2025
