Message for the Third Sunday of Lent 2020

Hope Does Not Disappoint (Romans 5:5).

Dear Holy People of God, God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good!

Let me start by saying that I miss you all this weekend. I miss your spiritual company, your prayers, your presence, your smiles and your love. It feels so lonely here at our parish home at Ste Anne’s this weekend. As I pray the Liturgy of the Hours and celebrate Mass in the chapel of the rectory, I am thinking of you all, of your families and loved ones. I am thinking of your prayer intentions, of your anxieties and likewise of your hopes, especially your hope in Christ, for in the midst of such uncertain, frightful and anxious times, what better place can we place our hope than in the hands of Christ? We are saved by hope, as St Paul tells us in Romans 8:24: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?” And again, St Paul says to the Romans and likewise to us here at St Anne’s: “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5).

As we go through this period plagued by the Coronavirus, we too can feel disillusioned and our faith tested: Where is God in all these? To be honest with you, there are no easy answers. In Jesus Christ, we believe that God has entered history – Immanuel, God with us. God is part of this history with all its uncertainties and vicissitudes. However, we can be sure that even as we go through these trying times, we are not alone. God has not abandoned us to face these anxious moments alone. In Jesus, God knows firsthand what it means to suffer, to be anxious, to be in pain, and even to die. Jesus did not take away the world’s sufferings. Rather, Jesus enters into the sufferings of the world and points a way forward by his resurrection. And it is faith in the resurrection that gives us the hope for the present and the future. I wish to urge us all to remember: God is with us, and God will not abandon us. With God, there is a future and a hope.

Given that we cannot celebrate the Eucharist tomorrow as a parish family, I am asking all families, as the Domestic Church, the first Church, to spend time in family prayer tomorrow, for where two or three are gathered together, Jesus is in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). The family is the first Church, and parents, biological or God-parents, are the first witnesses of the Gospel to the children. I will suggest that we all read the Gospel for tomorrow’s mass during a family prayer time: John 4: 5-42. We should also make an act of spiritual communion. This might be an opportunity for us to thank God for the gift of the Eucharist, and to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters the world over who are prevented by many other factors from celebrating the Eucharist on a weekly basis.

Be assured that my Holy Mass tomorrow at the chapel in the rectory will be for all of you and for all your intentions. God bless you all. God is still good, all the time, and his goodness is his presence with us, now and always.

 Fr Maurice Agbaw-Ebai

The Jesuit Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar have released a press statement advocating for peace and inclusive dialogue in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.

The communiqué was issued as a result of growing concerns about the violence and loss of human life in Cameroon’s English-speaking region since 2016, as a result of clashes between government troops and separatists seeking to create an independent English-speaking state called Ambazonia.

The statement signed by Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator SJ., the president of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), condemned the Cameroonian government’s continuous use of force by militia groups, saying it has led to the loss of innocent lives.

This comes in the wake of the recent February 14 attack on Ngar-buh village in the Donga Mantung Division of Northwest Cameroon, where at least thirty people, including ten children and several pregnant women were killed and several houses torched.

The JCAM called on Cameroonian President Paul Biya and his government to “go beyond repressive measures and take responsibility in order to find more lasting solutions to the crisis through mediated talks.”

Peace through dialogue

“Inclusive dialogue involving Anglophone separatists is the only sustainable solution to the violence” read the statement.

Proposing alternatives to violence, the Jesuit Conference pointed to the Swiss Initiative as an “opportunity for genuine dialogue.” Swiss Initiative, an NGO that initiates and supports cultural projects in conflict countries, is supported by a group of Catholic bishops from around the world and would seek to include separatist groups in dialogue for a lasting solution to the crisis.

JCAM also called on the Cameroonian government to “ensure the respect of human rights and freedom of expression and manifestation.”

Pope Francis’ call for Peace

In his message on the 53rd World Day of Peace, celebrated on January 1, 2020, Pope Francis noted that “our human community bears, in its memory and its flesh, the scars of ever more devastating wars and conflicts that affect especially the poor and the vulnerable” while calling for peace in the world.

Reiterating the Pope’s concern, the Jesuits in Africa noted that “Peace can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family of today and tomorrow.”

Cameroon’s situation

Since independence in 1961 and the unification of French and British Cameroon, relations between the francophone majority and the anglophone minority have been strained.

In 2016, their relationship escalated into violent clashes after the presidency attempted to impose the French language in English speaking zones.

Since then, intermittent violence has broken out in the country and has led to an estimated 2,000 deaths and the displacement of several hundreds of thousands to neighboring Nigeria.

Source: Vatican News

Preaching a message of peace in a conflict-ridden region, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea took over the Archdiocese of Bamenda in Cameroon on Feb. 22.

Bamenda is the capital of Cameroon’s North West Region, which together with the South West Region, forms the English-speaking regions of the majority French-speaking nation. Bamenda is the metropolitan archdiocese for all of Anglophone Cameroon, making Nkea the de-facto leader of English-speaking Catholics in the country.

Before being appointed to the archdiocese by Pope Francis in December, the 54-year-old had headed the Diocese of Mamfé, in the South West Region.

“I come to you as a shepherd, not as a politician,” Nkea said during his installation Mass.

“I come to you as a priest, not as a businessman. I come to you as a father, not as a policeman. I come to you as a message of peace, not as a warmonger. I come to you as a crusader for justice, not as a supporter of injustice. I come to you in spirit and in truth, not in flesh and with lies. I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ,” Nkea continued.

The archbishop told those gathered in the metropolitan cathedral that he hadn’t earned his position by merit.

“It’s a choice from God. I was appointed by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. I don’t know exactly why he chose me, but God must have a reason, and I just have to open myself to his will, and through the spirit of discernment, know what God wants me to do in Bamenda,” he said.

Nkea’s appointment comes at a very precarious time for Cameroon, and especially Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

The population of the two English-speaking regions make up about 20 percent of the country’s total, and traditionally use a school system based on England as well as the common law legal system.

In 2016, a protest by Anglophone lawyers and teachers over attempts to change the education and legal systems by the central government quickly degenerated into an armed rebellion with many English speakers demanding for outright independence, with separatists declaring their new country was called “Ambazonia.”

The conflict has killed at least 3000 people, and left over 700,000 others displaced, according to the United Nations.

In October 2019, the central government hosted a “Major National Dialogue” in which they promised to give “special status” to the Anglophone regions with a limited amount of autonomy.

The separatist leaders refused to attend the meeting and have refused to abide by its conclusions.

In November, Nkea lead a “peace caravan” to the South West Region to explain the terms of the deal, and to urge separatists to lay down their arms. Cardinal Christian Tumi, the emeritus Archbishop of Douala, led the caravan to the North West region.

“We are tired of war. We are tired of running in the bushes. We think that peace should come back,” the archbishop told Crux after his installation Mass.

“I am coming to Bamenda at a very difficult time, a time when the socio-political crisis has hit the whole ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda,” Nkea said. “We have seen a lot of suffering; we have seen a lot of killing and violence.”

Nkea said religion was a key to peace in the region.

“It’s only through the Gospel that we can permeate all the spheres of society, and like the motto of my Episcopal Ordination says, ‘In spirit and in Truth.’ Therefore, whatever we do in this archdiocese, we do it, guided by the Holy Spirit, and for the Truth, and only the Truth,” he told Crux.

During his homily at the Mass, Nkea said anything other than preaching the Gospel is “a distortion” of ministry.

I come to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the light. I come to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace,” he said.

The Mass was attended by leaders of other Christian denominations, as well as by Islamic leaders.

“We shall continue to work together in a spirit of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue,” the archbishop told them.

The papal representative to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, Archbishop Julio Murat, also called for dialogue during the event.

“Nothing is lost with peace, but all is lost with war,” Murat said.

Source: Crux

A pastor has shared firsthand information regarding a dire situation in Cameroon. The pastor’s name and other details are being withheld in an effort to increase security yet still communicate candidly.

No civilian in Bamenda, Cameroon is safe any longer, he reported: “No protection from the military, no protection from the so-called freedom fighters. The situation is such that both military and militia are fighting against the innocent population.”

He further reported that, early each morning in one corner of the town, the militia attacks and kills people, claiming they are supporters of the government. “Then they will shoot, burn and run away,” he said, but a few minutes later, the military will appear at the scene. “They will accuse the same harassed population on the claim that they are hiding and aiding the militia,” he described. “Then a new process of killing and burning will be done now by the military.”

People are still managing – sometimes – to go to church, he reported, but during a recent worship service, the militia came in and stopped the service by beating up Christians and shooting some. “Then we all ran away back home,” he said. “We are only saved from above.”

The church is under serious attack, he continued. “Pastors are beaten daily to near death by both parties,” he said, asking for daily prayers. “But I and others are trying daily to push through and be a help to the broken.”

Their ecumenical bond is strong, the pastor said. “We are bound to work together,” he said. “How united can the church become in the bad times?”

Differences in doctrine seems to melt away in the smell of gun powder and in the face of the pellet, he added. “So please…take up our case to God. Sing for our God to forgive us and bless even the souls of those we will lose today or tomorrow,” he said. “Pray for us trying to brave it and help others who are already broken.”

“Pray for government without a heart or pity in Cameroon. Above all, pray for the return of peace, schools, life and blessings in Cameroon.”

Culled from World Council of Churches

Bishops from around the world have signed an open letter to the Cameroonian president asking that he participate in proposed peace talks meant to bring an end to conflict between the government and Anglophone separatists.

“We are motivated by our concern about the suffering of unarmed civilians, and the stability and prosperity of Cameroon,” 16 bishops from outside Cameroon wrote in a Feb. 17 letter coordinated by the Global Campaign for Peace and Justice in Cameroon. Bishop Thomas Zinkula of Davenport was among the signatories.

“We believe the proposed Swiss-led talks offer the best path to an appropriate political solution through inclusive negotiations,” the bishops continued. “The success of these talks will be critical in Cameroon’s journey towards ensuring peace and your legacy as an effective leader in a troubled region. It is our sincere hope that all interested stakeholders will join these talks and show a spirit of cooperation, pragmatism, and realism to ensure these negotiations succeed.”

They added that “only true peace will allow Catholic dioceses, clinics, and schools to once again minister safely to the blessed congregants and citizens of Anglophone Cameroon.”

The Cameroon crisis is rooted in conflict between the English- and French-speaking areas of Cameroon. Unrest has been ongoing since 2016, when the country’s Anglophone community began protests to demand the return of federalism after the government increased the use of French in schools and courts.

Some 3,000 people have died since the fighting began. According to the UN, there are an estimated 679,000 internally displaced people in Cameroon, and 60,000 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria.

At least 600,000 children have been unable to attend school in the Anglophone Southwest and Northwest Regions, with most schools having been shut down.

The bishops told president Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for 37 years, that “there will be no military victory for any side. A lasting solution to Cameroon’s problems must come from a mediated process that includes Anglophone armed-separatist groups and non-violent civil-society leaders. If all parties treat each other as they wish to be treated, a solution is possible.”

They noted that a Major National Dialogue held in October 2019 was laudable, but had not stopped the violence.

The dialogue had proposed that the Anglophone regions be given greater self-government, and the elction of local governors. In addition, Biya had ordered that charges against some 300 people held in connection with the Anglophone conflict be dropped, and opposition leader Maurice Kamto was released after nine months of imprisonment.

At least 22 people were killed in an attack on Ntumbo, a village in the Northwest Region, Feb. 14. Separatists blamed the government for the attack, but the government has denied involvement.

The area that is now Cameroon was a German colony in the late 19th century, but the territory was divided into British and French mandates after the German Empire’s defeat in World War I. The mandates were united in an independent Cameroon in 1961.

There is now a separatist movement in the Southwest and Northwest Regions, which were formerly the British Southern Cameroons.

Cameroon held parliamentary elections Feb. 9, which the local bishops noted took place in a calm atmosphere, but with low turnout.

The Cameroonian bishops noted that “four months after the holding of the Major National Dialogue, which proposed solutions for ending the crisis” in the Anglophone reigions, “we are still not satisfied with the situation in these regions.”

They added that “insecurity persists in spite of everything and has prevented many citizens living in these areas from exercising their civil rights.”

Source: Catholic News Agency

Cardinal Christian Tumi is a known critic of the Cameroon government, yet he was one of those chosen by the regime to lead a “peace caravan” to the West African country’s troubled Anglophone regions.

After weeks meeting with various stakeholders, the cardinal now believes peace is gradually returning to the two regions, which contain about 20 percent of the country’s population that has often felt marginalized by the French-speaking majority.

In a wide-ranging interview with Crux, Tumi talks not only about the peace process, but he also examines the historical trajectory of the Anglophone problem in Cameroon, the 2017 death of Bishop Jean-Marie Benoît Balla – which authorities have said was a suicide but the nation’s bishops say was murder – as well as the life of the Church in the country.

Crux: Is the Christian faith still embedded in the hearts of Cameroonians who you meet daily?

Tumi: I think so. When a Christian goes through a difficult situation, it’s at such a time that his faith is tested. Sometimes, when God allows for difficult situations in the life of a Christian, it is to put him in a situation of persevering prayer. It is also to put him in the school of patience.

What do you mean by “the school of patience”?

We tell our Christians  every year that no matter the situation, no matter the difficulty, they should always have faith in the Lord who knows our past, our present and our future, and who knows all that is good for our spiritual life and even for our material life, because he is the one who created us.

During the celebration of the Feast of Nativity, the Archbishop of Yaoundé, Jean Mbarga, called on Cameroonians to “take their destiny into their hands.” That seems to contradict your insistence that people should pray and wait for God to decide their fate?

I am not contradicting what the archbishop of Yaoundé said. To wait doesn’t mean to do nothing by oneself. First, the fact that one can take the initiative to ask God to get us out of our difficulties, it’s already something. He himself has said, despite the fact that He already knows our needs, he asks us to pray without ceasing.

Pope Francis during his Christmas message condemned violent uprisings across the world, and went forward to comfort persecuted Christians. Is this message relevant to Cameroon?

Of course! It depends where we find ourselves. In the north of the country – I spent twelve years in the North of the country – and I am convinced that there are Christians in the north of the country who lived their Christian lives like martyrs and I am not only thinking of Catholics. I am thinking also of Christians from other denominations who suffered, who lost their jobs because they were Christians.

And we know many priests have been killed, with many believing Bishop Jean-Marie Benoît Balla was murdered.

Don’t forget that my predecessor in Garoua, Archbishop Yves Plumey was assassinated, and up to now, we don’t know who did it and why. There are people abroad who thought it was Cardinal Tumi who was assassinated. If it were me, there would have been a reason at the time. Archbishop Plumey was cold-bloodedly murdered on his bed. So Bishop Balla’s assassination was not the first case. And know that in the past 20 years, I think about 400 priests have been killed in Africa, because of their positions against authorities in their countries, and those are positions you take in conscience. Jesus told us: do not be afraid. When it comes to condemning evil, no matter its origin, priests and bishops don’t have to be afraid … besides, all the Apostles were killed.

Have you ever been fearful for your life?

No, not at all. Ever since I became priest, I have always been threatened. In Yagoua I was threatened. In Garoua, I was summoned to the military courts. In Douala, I was threatened after denouncing the assassination of 9 people in Bepanda … up to now, we are not told what happened. The Church must condemn with all its force such killings.

And there is a feeling that as a result of all this, the Church has a conflictual relationship with the state?

No, there is no conflict between us. All we want is that they should explain to us why this or that priest was killed …we are not at war with the state.

Cardinal, let’s talk about the Anglophone problem. What in your opinion are the fundamental causes?

Remember that before President Paul Biya called the major national dialogue to resolve the Anglophone problem, some retired clerics from other denominations and I had initiated an Anglophone General Conference to examine the root causes of the conflict. It did not take place, but we carried out a research to determine the causes, and to make proposals.

So, we produced a 400-page document with a 10-page summary.

For the causes, they are many: Bad government in the management of public affairs. At the time we were carrying out that investigation, the majority – 69 percent – said separation was the only way forward. But the problem escalated because the government intervened late, and the people became radicalized. But the problem started way back in 1972 when the name of the country was changed from the Federal Republic of Cameroon to the United Republic of Cameroon.

Why did the change in name constitute a problem?

Because we began to forget all that was specific to Anglophones-their heritage. Do not forget that from 1961-1972, we had a government there, [in Anglophone Cameroon], with a Prime Minister and his ministers. Anglophones had a system of governance that they inherited from the British.

We were raised in a democracy because the British governed by ‘indirect rule.’ They governed us through traditional rulers. They listened to the people. There was so much self-development, for instance, the roads. The roads that linked villages were dug by the people, for free. They were not paid. And they did that with so much joy … In Anglophone Cameroon, the policeman was a friend, all he had was a baton. We never saw the army. The army was in the barracks, because they were not there to attack the population. I saw an armed policeman for the first time during the reunification.

So how did the change in name affect all of that?

We had the impression that the goal of that change in 1972 was to assimilate the Anglophones; to abolish all that was Anglo-Saxon. I remember a Frenchman who told me that he was surprised that just months after the abolition of federalism, he visited Cameroon and discovered that all public notices and signboards were in French, so he thought he was already in a francophone country. And I have never ceased to recount a story that I lived in Rome with a French diplomat. We were invited to the French embassy in Rome, and one of the employees there approached me and asked me which country I came from. I told him I was from Cameroon. He told me: “Thank you for all you are doing to assimilate the Anglophones. That was a French diplomat.”

What effect did that have on you?

It all dawned on me: that is the goal. That is the source of the problem. When I told this story to some Frenchmen, they said, that’s not possible, because it was not diplomatic for him to say that. It revealed everything.

Should all of that frustration lead youths to take up arms?

No, I condemn that. Nothing can be resolved through violence. It’s always good to come together and dialogue.

Cardinal, after the national dialogue, you and the Bishop of Mamfe [Andrew Nkea Fuanya, who was named Archbishop of Bamenda on Dec. 30] were designated to lead “peace caravans” to the two regions. You have said the situation on the ground is changing for the better. What makes you say that when we still see daily killings on the ground?

And I still hold that opinion. You know, my mother’s house was attacked, and the doors broken. I stand to repeat exactly what I said: The situation is changing. What are the proofs today? The proofs are some people are going back to their communities. That is a simple example.

Yesterday, somebody was here to tell me that his mother was kidnapped in the Ndop plains and they were asking for money. The mother said: ‘I prefer to die.’ Thirdly, there is contradiction now between the separatists and the population. There are some cases, like in Bamenda … I got a letter from a priest in Bamenda who said there are tracks which are thrown in the town of Bamenda which say: “No school, no amba.” This means if the amba boys do not allow children to go to school, there will be no amba. [Editor’s note: The amba boys is the common name for separatist rebels.]

Some parents are ready to fight back, so that their children go to school. And the Bishop of Mamfe said almost all his schools are functioning now. So we can cite examples to show that what was happening yesterday is changing. And finally, many of these boys are coming now to see us. They don’t go to see those people who are contradicting me…

What justifies this change in attitude?

There are 29 separatist fighters in Boyo who want to come to Douala. There are 15 in the Ndop plains. They trust us, and I think that is why the state got us involved in all of this. There are four right here with me, and the Prime Minister is aware.

There may be many reasons. First of all, the prayers of the faithful that this crisis ends. Those who have come here say they heard about me and they agree with my positions …. believe them. One of the reasons is that they don’t have the means anymore … I received an amba boy, married, and university student who told me when he came to see me, that they were fooled by the diaspora. The diaspora was saying that the UN would intervene, and they would have salaries of over 400,000 CFA [around $675] per month. In the last pastoral letter by the Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province, they say not even one quarter of the promises made by the diaspora had been attained.

What is pushing the young people out of the forests?

First, they have got nothing to eat. Secondly, many are dying from disease. I can tell you that in Cameroon and out of Cameroon, no one has been in contact with the heads of these armed separatists. It’s only the Bishop of Mamfe and I. And they want an end to the crisis. They want to create a political party. They don’t have a political party. How would they conquer political power without a political party? The Bishop of Mamfe and I are encouraging them to create their political party, to fight politically. It’s the only means by which they can get to power.

One recommendation to resolve the Anglophone problem emanating from the grand dialogue was the special status for the English-speaking regions. Are you comfortable with the contents?

I was among the first to make a proposition for the content. I was clear, and the Prime Minister’s office too, said that I was the clearest: I proposed a government, I proposed a house of parliament, I proposed a house of elders, the independence of the civil service … the civil service is to serve the government, not a party; so therefore, during campaigns, civil servants should not be seen campaigning. The independence of the educational and legal systems. We should be in the Anglo-Saxon style that we inherited …To be frank, what will satisfy Cameroonians is a sort of federalism. But the present political authority doesn’t want to hear about federalism. I’ve told people that federalism is in my blood. That is what we voted for at reunification.

What is lacking in the special status?

Even though there is a regional council – an assembly of representatives of the region – they cannot vote a law, they cannot initiate a law.

Personally, I am not satisfied with the contents of this Special Status.

Be it as it may, what do you think is the way forward for a Cameroon, now described as “sick” by some?

Truth. The truth will save Cameroon. How many billions have been stolen from our coffers? Don’t forget, when Paul Biya came to power, he said that economically and financially, we were faring well, and that we will not go to the Bretton Woods institutions to borrow. No sooner after that – in two or three years – we were on our knees begging to be accepted as a poor and heavily indebted country.

And what message do you have for Cameroonians as they go into a new year?

Let’s love our country. Let’s love each other, and to love your neighbor means you do to him what you would love to be done to you. Do not do to your neighbor the evil that you won’t want done to you. And we should love the other virtues, like living together so we fall in line with our communities, as citizens and as brothers and sisters of the same nation.

Crux