More than 13 months after being shaken by an unexpected mourning, the community of the church compassion celebrated, on July 23, 2025, the remarriage of its leader, Pastor Marcello Jérémie Tunasi, with the prophetess Esther Aïcha. The event, organized in Brussels, revives the memory of its previous union with Blanche Odia Kandolo, sealing exactly nineteen years earlier and interrupted by the sudden death of it in 2024.
Here is a neutral and complete look at the facts: key dates, legal context, excavated biography of the new wife, recent geographic origin, as well as questions triggered on the web.
Essential chronology
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Civil and religious marriage of Marcello Tunasi with Blanche Odia Kandolo | July 23, 2006, Kinshasa (DRC). The date of July 23 is disputed; new information also mentions January 28. |
| Official announcement of the remarriage by La Compassion Church | July 20, 2025, Kinshasa & social media. Video testimony broadcast in the assembly and shared on YouTube. |
| Civil and religious remarriage of Marcello Tunasi with Esther Aïcha | July 23, 2025, Brussels (Belgium). Discreet ceremony but broadcast on the church’s official channels. |
A symbolic date
July 23 is often presented as a biographical hallmark, marking both the date of the first marriage (2006) and the new union (2025)—a parallel widely noted on social media. However, recent information suggests that the date of the first marriage was actually January 28, not July 23, thus casting doubt on this much-discussed coincidence.
Legal context of civil marriage in Belgium
Belgian legislation provides for an incompressible interval of 14 days between the declaration of marriage and the celebration, with a 6 -month ceiling. Future spouses must present:
- Recent copy of the birth certificate, identity document, celibacy certificate or widowhood act, and, for foreign nationals, legalization or translation of documents.
- The expiring statement after 6 months and 14 days therefore requires that the file was initiated long before the ceremony, excluding a spontaneous organization.
In this case, the administrative file of Marcello Tunasi and Esther Aïcha had to be opened before early July 2025 to respect this framework, which explains the period of silent preparation having preceded the public announcement.
Detailed biography of Esther Aïcha Tunasi
Identity sheet
| Section | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Esther Aïcha (sometimes identified under the diminutive “Esther Gala”) |
| Year of birth | 1990 (age: 35 years in 2025) |
| Family origin | Belgian father, Malian mother and younger sister of a former Malian president |
| Original religion | Islam (Muslim family) |
| Conversion | Profession of Christian faith in Canada under the Ministry of Pastor Ezekiel Mulumba |
| Nationalities | Belgian by the father; possibility of dual Malian nationality according to Malian legislation |
| Recent places of residence | Montreal (Canada) since at least 2018; extended stays in Brussels for ministerial reasons since 2024 |
| Ministerial occupation | Prophetess, pastor devoted on May 4, 2024 to the armed church of the redeems of Montreal |
| Specialties | Female supervision, intercession, prophetic teaching, gospel cantor |
| LANGUAGES | French (current), English (functional), probable use of Bambara in the maternal sphere |
| Status before marriage | Head of protocol then associated pasteur; Active in compassion prayer cells since 2023 |
Chronological course
-
Multicultural childhood (1990-2007)
Born in Belgium of a European father and a Malian mother, Esther grows between Brussels and Bamako, family -nourished by Muslim tradition. -
Installation in Canada (2008-2018)
Arrival in Montreal for university studies not documented publicly, she frequented the armed church of the redeems where she discovers evangelical Christianity. After several pensions and a process of catechesis, she publicly took her baptism in 2010. -
Training and Initial Ministry (2011-2023)
- Protocol and logistics of cults, then direction of the French -speaking choir.
- Humanitarian missions in Mali (2016, 2019) focused on literacy and water access.
- First public preaching on a prayer monitoring in 2017, recognized for its sense of exhortation.
- Frequent meeting with Marcello Tunasi during his Canadian Crusades, facilitated by the bond of friendship between Pastors Tunasi and Mulumba.
-
Pastoral consecration and rapprochement with compassion (2024-2025)
- On May 4, 2024, Pastor Ezekiel Mulumba devoted her to the grade of pastor.
- After the death of Blanche Tunasi in June 2024, Esther occasionally intervened in Kinshasa and Brussels for prayer sessions, accentuating its visibility with the community.
- Fiancailles supposed in September 2024 according to various video testimonies, but no official declaration confirms this information.
-
Remarriage in Brussels (July 23, 2025)
Now a wife of the main pastor of the compassion, she shares the international pastoral agenda and retains a pied-à-terre in Canada for annual pensions.
Character traits and skills
- Humility and discretion : Several speakers describe her as “a woman in the shadows” whose prayer life is intense.
- Prophetic discernment : short and targeted interventions, consolation and catering.
- Moderate polyglot : capable of translating simultaneously into English during bilingual cults.
- Female leadership : Responsible for “women of destiny” seminars in Montreal and Brussels.
Decryption of digital reactions and controversies
Recurring questions raised
| Theme | Details |
|---|---|
| Remarriage too soon | Many believe one year of widowhood is short for such a prominent spiritual leader. Factually, the Bible sets no minimum mourning period; under Belgian law, remarriage is allowed once the death certificate is registered, provided legal procedures are followed. |
| Pre-existing relationship | Persistent rumors of engagement since August 2024. No official documents prove a romantic relationship before the marriage proposal; only a public ministerial connection was documented. |
| Symbolism of July 23 | Some see the date as a tribute to Blanche, others as a communication gesture. Neither Marcello nor Esther have explicitly explained this choice; the church refers to “God’s sovereignty over the seasons.” |
| Administrative procedure bypassed | Suspicion of an “express” process. However, the 14-day legal waiting period before the ceremony in Belgium cannot be waived. Any irregularity would expose the couple to annulment of the marriage, which has not been reported by any municipal authority. |
Typology of reactions
-
Congratulations and support
The majority of the faithful of compassion salute the emotional reconstruction of the pastor and perceive Esther as “a divine project”. -
Theological reserves
Congolese reformed pastors highlight the risk of “scandal” in a culture where the duration of mourning is morally codified, despite the absence of biblical prescription. -
Sensationalist drifts
Several YouTube channels take advantage of visibility to monetize the debate, sometimes by conveying unwanted conspiracy theses.
Pastoral impacts and perspectives
On the governance of compassion
- Load sharing : Esther should resume the coordination of female departments, leaving Marcello an increased focus on international doctrine and crusades.
- Family balance : The four children of the first marriage (Oracle, Shukrani, Shiphra, Thabiri) live between Kinshasa and Brussels; Esther inherits a delicate maternal role but recognized as necessary by the Assembly.
On the public image
- Communication strengthening : The church inaugurated a media committee to supervise the speaking and avoid misunderstandings, the pastor having recognized timing flaws during the initial announcement.
- New Pastoral Couple Model : The Congolese-Belgian tandem aims to touch the French-speaking diaspora in Europe, Canada and West Africa, expanding the scope of the ministry.
On the societal debate
- Widowhood and remarriage : The Tunasi case illustrates the tension between African cultural norms (long mourning, family solidarity) and globalized urban life rhythm where personal reconstruction occurs faster.
- Personal and religious diversity : The conversion of an ex-Malian ex-Muslim, who has become a pastor and wife of a Congolese leader, nourishes a singular geopolitical narrative on the contemporary circulation of faith.
Conclusion
The marriage of Pastor Marcello Tunasi with the prophetess Esther Aïcha, celebrated on July 23, 2025 in Brussels, closed a period of mourning started on June 12, 2024 with the death of Blanche Odia Kandolo Tunasi. Beyond affects, the two unions share the same Charnière date of July 23, fueling symbolism and online suspicion. The new pastoral couple meets Belgian legal requirements and is part of an extended vision of the French -speaking ministry. It remains to follow the way in which Esther, a pasteur of Belgian-Malian origin residing in Canada, will articulate her composite identity to support an international community in search of benchmarks.
Finally, the case illustrates the amplifier impact of social networks: between celebration, legitimate and sometimes unfounded controversial questions, public conversation around widowhood, remarriage and spiritual transparency has undoubtedly not finished making the canvas vibrate.
Sources and references
Legal references
- Belgian wedding formalities – Belgium.be
- Administrative procedures civil marriage – marriage.be
- Brussels marriage declaration – Catalog.be.brussels
- Declaration and celebration of marriage – Tournai.be
YouTube videos
- Video testimony broadcast on YouTube concerning the official remarriage announcement (July 20, 2025)
- Official church channels compassion for the retransmission of marriage
- Various YouTube channels having monetized the debate around remarriage
