Religion

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Pope Francis appeals for peace

25, September 2022

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Pope Francis appeals for peace 0

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to the world not to forget or ignore the suffering of the population in Anglophone Cameroon where violence continues to cause death and displacement.

Speaking before leading the Angelus Prayer at the conclusion of Holy Mass in the city of Matera where he marked the end of the National Eucharistic Congress, the Pope said he joins in the appeal of the bishops of Cameroon for the liberation of eight people kidnapped in the diocese of Mamfe, including five priests and a religious sister.

“I add my voice to the appeal of the Bishops of Cameroon for the release of thé people kidnapped in the Diocese of Mamfe, including five priests and one religious. I pray for them and for the people of the ecclesiastical province of Bamenda: May the Lord grant peace to the hearts of the people and restore harmony to the social order of the Country.”

The priests and the religious sister were reportedly kidnapped by unknown assailants who set fire to a church on Friday in Nchang village in Manyu Division.

This was announced in a statement by the Bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Bamenda.

The Mamfe diocese, located in the southwest region, is one of two restive regions in Cameroon where separatists have been waging war against the Yaoundé authorities since 2017.

Source: Vatican News

Mamfe Diocese: Bishop Abangalo calls for prayers in wake of St Mary Church attack

22, September 2022

Mamfe Diocese: Bishop Abangalo calls for prayers in wake of St Mary Church attack 0

“It took years for the Church to bring Jesus into this land and I am sure it will take years to bring Jesus back!! All I ask for is that we should pray for the release of the five priests, the religious and the two Christians who were all abducted” was the message from the Bishop of Mamfe, Dr Aloysius Fondong Abangalo, after he visited Nchang village following this week’s terror attack on St. Mary Catholic Church Nchang.

In a soul-searching presentation, His Lordship Dr Abangalo stated that there was an urgent need for the entire diocese of Mamfe to hold a service of prayer and seek penance.  The Bishop said that the atmosphere in his diocese was sombre and heavy and that things may never be the same as they were before.

The Bishop’s House is offering support to the Christians in Nchang and the families in pain, but Christians everywhere deep within the Mamfe Diocese should join us in prayer and in saying the rosary, Bishop Aloysius Fondong said.

Speaking on BBC radio, the head of the Bamenda Ecclesiastic Province, Archbishop Andrew Nkea, said that the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon was in shock after the attack.

No Southern Cameroons armed group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Manyu Division had already been in a state of heightened alert since the beginning of the crisis in Southern Cameroons. But it is surprising that soldiers have not been guarding churches and public spaces.

Christian leaders in many parts of Cameroon and even beyond have condemned the terrorist attack on the St Mary Catholic Church in Nchang.

Bishop Bibi Michael of the Buea Diocese reportedly sent a message to the Bishop of Mamfe expressing his deep sorrow saying Christians in the Mamfe Diocese are in need of our prayers as they minister the love of God to the stricken village.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

St Mary Church Crisis: A ransom has been requested for the 9 people kidnapped

21, September 2022

St Mary Church Crisis: A ransom has been requested for the 9 people kidnapped 0

If we speak with the government, the secessionists accuse us of being pro-government; if we talk to the secessionists, the government accuses us of being with the secessionists.

The kidnapping of nine people in the attack on the church of Saint Mary, in the village of Nchang (see Fides, 19/9/2022) has been revealed a kidnapping for ransom. Msgr. Andrew Nkea Fuanya, Archbishop of Bamenda, stated this, affirming that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom. Monsignor Nkea added that there are groups that see the Church as an “easy target to make money”.

We remember that on the night of Friday, September 16, an armed group attacked and set fire to the church of Saint Mary, kidnapping five priests, a nun and three lay people (a catechist, a cook and a young woman) after the ambush.

Since 2016, the northwestern and southwestern regions of Cameroon have been in the grip of a bloody conflict between the English-speaking separatists and the military of the French-speaking majority state.

The violence has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced about one million people.

At the beginning of September, Bishop Nkea, who until May was apostolic administrator of the diocese of Mamfe (where the town of Nchang is located) and president of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, called for an intervention by the international community, which “seems having forgotten the English-speaking crisis”. “We try to encourage priests, men and women religious to continue to operate in the two English-speaking regions – he reported in an interview with the French section of Vatican News – but we Bishops receive daily messages that threaten our dialogue efforts: if we speak with the government, the secessionists accuse us of being pro-government; if we talk to the secessionists, the government accuses us of being with the secessionists. It is a delicate situation, but the Bishops must continue to mediate between the parties”.

Culled  (Agenzia Fides,

Burning down of St. Mary’s Catholic Church Nchang: Why such barbarism?

21, September 2022

Burning down of St. Mary’s Catholic Church Nchang: Why such barbarism? 0

The news about the burning of a church in Nchang, a town some five kilometers from Mamfe, has depressed many people across the globe. The Southern Cameroons crisis which started some six years ago has nothing to do with religion. Burning churches and kidnapping clergymen speaks of the barbarism which belongs to a different epoch.

The church, especially the Catholic Church, has been pushing for dialogue and negotiations and this act by some irresponsible elements could alienate the Catholic Church which should be a key player in any and every negotiation on the this crisis which has been hijacked by some senseless and irresponsible elements.

From the time the crisis started, many people knew that the real fighters were protective of the population and were better organized to face the government which has been refusing to go to the negotiating table where a genuine and sustainable solution could be found.

In recent times, it has been noticed that some criminals have infiltrated the ranks of the fighters and these irresponsible elements are giving the rebellion a real bad name. 

Today, there is more of banditry than fighting in the two English-speaking regions of the country. This has been made more possible by the availability of assault weapons in the country.

Why would any reasonable human being burn a church and kidnap men of God whose role is to sow peace and unity in the country? What has the Catholic Church done for it to become a soft target in a war it knows nothing about? 

Today, there are calls from the kidnappers to leaders of the Catholic Church, asking for money. They had initially requested CFAF 50 million, but they seem to be facing huge problems as the Catholic Church is an institution which does not negotiate with criminals and does not pay ransom. 

Since the kidnappers are facing challenges, they are now asking for CFAF 25 million, but they will not be having any money from the Catholic Church which is currently looking for money to rehabilitate its schools which have been overwhelmed by wild weeds due to the crisis which has already consumed more than 7,000 lives and destroyed much needed and critical infrastructure.

Those who have kidnapped priests and burned the Nchang Catholic Church has crossed the reddest of all the red lines. The revolution has lost a key ally. Though the Catholic Church is not for any bloodshed, it has however been pushing for a peaceful resolution and this message was reiterated by Archbishop Andrew Nkea in his interview with the BBC.

Though the Archbishop reiterated the church’s willingness to call for peace and to urge both sides to come to the negotiating table, there are fears that the church might no longer be vocal in its condemnation of violence against the civilian population because of this heinous crime committed in Nchang.

Cameroon Concord News Group has dispatched a team to Mamfe to cover this incident and the Group is seeking to get in touch with those who have made this grievous mistake of burning a church and kidnapping the priests. Cameroon Concord News Group holds that those who control the kidnappers should immediately release the Men of God for their place is in the church and not in the bushes. 

The church’s role is to preach peace and call for calm and not to negotiate ransoms. Those who have committed this crime have clearly demonstrated that they do not really have any meaningful objective. They are giving the revolution a very bad name, the Cameroon Concord News Group’s Editor-in-chief, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai, said.

He stressed that it was not yet late for those who are keeping the priests to do the right thing. “We cannot be complaining about violence by the military while other Southern Cameroonians are being kidnapped, tortured, and even killed by fellow Southern Cameroonians just because they have weapons. If this revolution will make sense to anybody, then the kidnappings and requests for ransom must stop. The population has suffered for too long and it is preposterous for any group to continue inflicting more pain on the people. Long periods of ghost town operations have robbed the regions of many economic opportunities and kidnapping for money is sending away any potential businesspeople who may want to give the anemic economy a shot in the arm. This barbarism must stop,” he underscored. 

By Dylan Tambe Ashu and Alain Agbor Ebot

War in Southern Cameroons: A burnt Church, 8 hostages including 5 Reverend Fathers

18, September 2022

War in Southern Cameroons: A burnt Church, 8 hostages including 5 Reverend Fathers 0

Five Roman Catholic priests, a Religious Sister and two worshipers were kidnapped by unidentified people who set fire on the ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH NCHANG some few kilometers from Mamfe, the chief town in Manyu Division, South West on Friday.

Murders, lootings and kidnappings are frequent in Southern Cameroons, where Ambazonia Restoration Forces regularly target schools and teachers in particular, but also Catholic and Protestant churches and their prelates. But local bishops say Friday’s kidnapping is “completely unprecedented” in its scale and five priests, a Religious Sister and two faithful were kidnapped,” lamented the Episcopal Conference of Bamenda Province in a statement made public by His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea.

Attacks and kidnappings have not been claimed but are frequently perpetrated by separatist groups and most often end with the release of hostages for ransom or negotiations with local traditional and religious leaders.

Southern Cameroons populated mainly by Cameroon’s English-speaking minority, have been the scene for nearly six years of a very deadly conflict between armed groups demanding the independence of a state they call “The Federal Republic of Ambazonia” and massively deployed security forces under the power of 89-year-old President Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon with an iron fist for nearly 40 years.

The two camps are regularly accused by international NGOs and the UN of committing crimes and atrocities against civilians, the main victims of this war, and Mr. Biya of showing intransigence and carrying out relentless repression, in English-speaking Cameroon but also against any political opposition in the country.

The conflict has claimed more than 46,000 lives since late 2016 and forced more than a million people to move, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

By Rita Akana with files from AFP and Camcordnews

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Roman Catholic Bishops condemn attacks on clergy, churches

17, September 2022

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Roman Catholic Bishops condemn attacks on clergy, churches 0

COMMUNIQUÉ ABOUT THE BURNING DOWN OF THE ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH NCHANG, MAMFE DIOCESE AND THE KIDNAPPING OF RELIGIOUS PERSONNEL

It was with great shock and utter horror that we, the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, learnt of the burning down of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Nchang, Mamfe Diocese, and the kidnapping of five priests, one Religious Sister and two lay faithful by unknown Gunmen, and taken to an unknown destination in the surrounding Forests of Nchang village on the evening of 16th of September, 2022. This act was completely unprecedented, and as at now, no concrete reason has been given for this heinous act against the house of God and the Messengers of God.

Since this crisis started in 2016 until today, the People have suffered terribly and men and women of God have been soft targets of kidnappers, torturers and unscrupulous gun men. A wave of persecution against the hierarchy of the church is now the new game of the “Struggle”, and all kinds of threat messages are sent out against Missionaries who have surrendered their lives to work for the people. These attacks are not only against the Catholic Church but also against the Presbyterian and the Baptist Churches in Cameroon. And strange enough, some of those who attack the churches ferociously, are people who are either members of these churches or who have benefitted from the generosity of these Churches.

We,the Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province, strongly condemn all these attacks against the Church and her Ministers and we appeal to those who have taken the priests, the Nun and the Christians in Nchang to release them without further delay. We insist on this because this act has now crossed the red line and we must say that “Enough is enough”.

We equally call on those who burnt down the St. Mary’s church, Nchang, and all those who either instructed them or support them from home and abroad, to repent of their evil ways because where they are  now, they may find themselves fighting against God and not men (Acts 5:39). And no one ever fights against God and wins.

We express our solidarity and prayerful wishes to the Most Rev. Aloysius Fondong, Bishop of Mamfe, all the Priests, Religious and Christ’s Lay Faithful in the Diocese of Mamfe, and especially to the Christians of St. Mary’s Parish Nchang, during this trying moment.

Looking at all that the Church has done and is still doing for the people of the Regions of the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon in its history, we, the Bishops and the Ministers of the Churches address our people with the strong words of Yahweh to Israel “Our People, what have we done to you, how have we offended you, answer us”(Micah 6:3-4).

It is important to remind these violent offenders of the Church and Her Ministers that what they have done in 2022 AD is equivalent to what King Nebuchadnezzar did in 587 BC when he burnt down the temple in Jerusalem and looted the temple and carried away the priests to Babylon, (2Kings 25:8-19). But they must also remember what happened to the great King Nebuchadnezzar after attacking the house of God: “He was driven from human society and fed on grass like oxen, and was drenched by the dew of heaven; his hair grew long as eagle’s feathers, and his nails became like bird’s claws”(Daniel 4:30).

We call on all Christians to continue to pray for the Church in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda and for all her Ministers. We pray for protection and at the same time for forgiveness of the offenders like Christ on the Cross who prayed: “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing”(Lk.23:34).

We call on people of goodwill to exercise vigilance over the temporal goods of the Church and her personnel and protect them from the powers of the Evil One. While we pray for protection, we also pray through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, that peace may return to our Ecclesiastical Province and that a lasting solution may be reached to this problem.

Whatever the case, we give glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ever ask or imagine. We give glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen.(Eph.3:20)

Given in Bamenda, Seat of BAPEC, this Saturday, the 17th Day of September, 2022.

All the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda.

+Andrew NKEA,

President of Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference (BAPEC)

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Roman Catholic Church set ablaze in suspected Amba raid on Manyu village

17, September 2022

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Roman Catholic Church set ablaze in suspected Amba raid on Manyu village 0

The crisis of Christian persecution in Southern Cameroons has grown in the face of continued inaction from the Biya regime in Yaoundé and law enforcement apparatus. The criminals have not been identified, but are likely Francophone soldiers benefitting from the war in Southern Cameroons or Ambazonia fighters, both of which terrorize and kill Christians in Anglophone Cameroon with impunity, knowing that in almost all cases there will be little or no significant response from the Biya Francophone government or Francophone dominated military. Both Cameroon government army soldiers and Ambazonia fighters have made the situation of Christians in the South West and North West regions a human rights catastrophe of immense proportions.

The Holy Father Pope Francis has implored the Cameroon government to make the plight of Christians in West Cameroon a top priority. Christians in Southern Cameroons are walking the way of the Cross. May our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ also bless them with the joy of a resurrection and new flourishing of their communities.

Unidentified armed men have razed the building of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Nchang village, Manyu Division, South West region.

By Fon Lawrence

The Holy Father Pope Francis arrives in Kazakhstan to promote ‘dialogue’

13, September 2022

The Holy Father Pope Francis arrives in Kazakhstan to promote ‘dialogue’ 0

Pope Francis, warned by doctors not to travel to Ukraine, arrived in Kazakhstan in Central Asia on Tuesday for a three-day visit to promote dialogue and peace in the ex-Soviet region.

The Argentine pope, who is forced by knee pain to use a wheelchair and has admitted he must slow down or consider retirement, will take part in an inter-religious summit in the capital, Nur-Sultan.

His plane landed shortly after 5:15 pm (1115 GMT), an AFP journalist onboard said, and the 85-year-old pontiff was already meeting shortly after with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev before giving a first speech to the authorities and the diplomatic corps.

Francis said Sunday that the 38th trip abroad since his election in 2013 would be “an opportunity… to (have a) dialogue as brothers, animated by the common desire for peace, peace that our world is thirsty for”.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, was initially expected but has pulled out of the September 14-15 event, dashing hopes of a meeting with Francis over the Ukraine conflict.

While the pope has called for peace and denounced a “cruel and senseless war”, Kirill has defended Putin’s “military operation” and the fight against Russia’s “external and internal enemies”.

About 100 delegations from 50 countries are expected to take part in the event in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic that gained independence in 1991.

“Dialogue, a coming together, the search for peace between different religious and cultural worlds are at the heart of this trip,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Monday.

Tensions

Tokayev, 69, is an ally of Russia, though there have been tensions between the two countries since Moscow launched the invasion in February.

He has refused to support the war and the presence of a large Russian community in the north of Kazakhstan has sparked fears of a revival of Moscow’s imperial ambitions in the area.

Kazakhstan borders other former Soviet republics, as well as China and the Caspian Sea.

Lyudmila, a 74-year-old pensioner who declined to give her last name, said she hoped the Papal visit would encourage people around the world to learn more about Kazakhstan.

“Maybe it will raise the profile of our country, that such a great spiritual figure is visiting us,” she told AFP.

On Wednesday, Francis will address the opening of the plenary session of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, before celebrating a mass in the afternoon and winding up his trip Thursday by meeting Catholic leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in the country at the same time as Francis at a time when the Vatican is hoping to renew a historic accord appointing bishops in China.

Asked by journalists during the flight about a possible meeting with Xi, Francis said he had “no information” about any possible talks.

He added, however, that he was “always ready to go to China”.

Energy-rich Kazakhstan has 19 million inhabitants, 70 percent of whom are Sunni Muslims, while 26 percent are Christians — mainly Russian Orthodox. Less than one percent are Catholic.

Tokayev began a series of reforms after his election in 2019, but the country was rocked by protests over fuel prices earlier this year that left more than 200 people dead and shattered its image of stability.

Francis is the second pope to visit Kazakhstan after John Paul II’s trip in September 2001.

He said last week that doctors had forbidden him from travelling to Ukraine or Moscow for now, as he recovers from a knee problem that has forced him to cancel numerous events at the Vatican.

Source:  AFP

African bishops remember Queen Elizabeth as ‘pillar of stability’

13, September 2022

African bishops remember Queen Elizabeth as ‘pillar of stability’ 0

Queen Elizabeth II was remembered for “certain lasting values of discipline, hard work, a sense of duty, honesty and meritocracy” by bishops in Africa after her death on Thursday at the age of 96.

When she ascended the throne in 1952, the United Kingdom still ruled over much of Africa, and her reign saw the era of decolonizing the British Empire. Most of English-speaking Africa now belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of mostly former British colonies headed by the British monarch.

Bishop George Nkuo of the Kumbo Diocese in Cameroon’s troubled North West region told Crux that Queen Elizabeth stood as “a symbol for royalty and of good and lasting values.”

“She certainly will be remembered as one who despite the changes brought about by the Android age, continued to remind the world of certain lasting values of discipline, hard work, a sense of duty, honesty, and meritocracy.”

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja in Nigeria told Crux that he received the news of the Queen’s passing with “great sorrow and sadness,” noting that “news of the demise of the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and the oldest and longest-serving head of state in the world, came as a shock.”

He recalled that Elizabeth came to the throne promising to devote her whole life to the service of the British people.

“The queen reigned with grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic to fulfill this declaration,” Kaigama said.

He said Elizabeth was the only British monarch the vast majority of Nigerians had ever known, and had developed “great admiration and filial affection for her.”

“What made Queen Elizabeth so special was that she grasped the full spiritual weight and responsibility of her office, and sought to execute it with that in mind,” Kaigama said.

He asserted that the queen put her Christian faith at the center of all that she did, “and this made her a pillar of stability in an ever-changing world.”

“Her Majesty was, indeed, the epitome of duty, stability, wisdom and grace. The axiom, ‘Service Untiringly done. Duty faithfully fulfilled,’ encapsulates her reign,” the Nigerian prelate continued.

“The queen touched the hearts of many with her dedicated service especially to the Commonwealth which remains an important trade partner, investor and development partner in many African countries, the biggest being South Africa and Nigeria. It is our hope that the Commonwealth could continue to offer stability and continuity in years to come, especially, during the reign of King Charles III,” the archbishop added.

Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, the president of the South African bishops’ conference, told Crux that Queen Elizabeth was “a source of cohesion and identity for her people.”

“With all the moral failures that have been noted both in the royal family and in the country, Queen Elizabeth was regarded as a moral barometer and an ideal of good behavior,” Sipuka said.

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, headed by Pope Tawadros II, issued a statement saying the queen leaves behind “a great legacy of noble humanitarian work and huge support to human rights and religious freedom.”

“We particularly remember her relationship with our Coptic Church and her support to its existence in Britain to serve the church’s children living there, and this support was manifested in decorating Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox in the UK with the Order of the British Empire (OBE),” the Egyptian church said in a statement.

Queen Elizabeth has been succeeded by her eldest child, Charles III. She will be laid to rest on Sept. 19.

Culled from Crux

Archbishop Andrew Nkea opens Our Lady of Fatima girls’ college Bamendankwe

5, September 2022

Archbishop Andrew Nkea opens Our Lady of Fatima girls’ college Bamendankwe 0

The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Bamenda Archdiocese was in Bamendankwe today when he officially opened the newly constructed Our Lady of Fatima girls’ college.

His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea — who heads the Bamenda Ecclesiastic Province, also announced that the school campus is safe, secure and that there are few places left for the current academic year.

Cameroon Concord News understands work on the building began early last year and is now completed.

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Concord News Group, His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea said the building has been designed to take full advantage of natural light, sunshine and ventilation with a covered area outside each classroom to provide shelter and security.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

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