Religion

The Holy Father likens refugee centers in Europe to concentration camps

23, April 2017

The Holy Father likens refugee centers in Europe to concentration camps 0

Pope Francis has likened the detention camps set up by European states to hold refugees to concentration camps. “Refugee camps, many of them, are of concentration [conditions] because of the great number of people left there, inside them,” the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said during a sermon at the Basilica of Saint Bartholomew in Rome on Saturday.

He reprimanded the European states for exercising collective apathy toward the plight of the refugees by sealing the continent’s borders, and advised European leaders to uphold and defend human and refugee rights. The Pope encouraged European leaders to welcome more refugees rather than devise new means of how to stem their flow.

In March, the Pope said Europe had been founded on the basis of multiculturalism. “Europe finds new hope when she refuses to yield to fear or close herself off in false forms of security. Quite the contrary, her history has been greatly determined by encounters with other peoples and cultures; hers is, and always has been, a dynamic and multicultural identity,” the pontiff said back then in an address to the leaders of the European Union (EU) member states, who had gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which led to the formation of the bloc.

Refugees fleeing from war and persecution in the Middle East and North Africa have been heading to Europe in hopes of rebuilding their lives. Many European countries, subsumed by xenophobia or fears of terrorist infiltration, have enforced strict regulations to prevent refugee arrivals. Some countries, particularly those on the EU’s external borders, have closed their borders to refugees altogether.

Presstv

Anglophone Crisis: The Preaching Bishop addresses Christians in the Mamfe Diocese

21, April 2017

Anglophone Crisis: The Preaching Bishop addresses Christians in the Mamfe Diocese 0

MESSAGE TO ALL PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS MEN AND WOMEN, MEMBERS OF CHRIST’S LAY FAITHFUL AND PEOPLE OF GOODWILL IN THE DIOCESE OF MAMFE

DIRECT SUMMONS TO THE BISHOPS OF BUEA, MAMFE AND KUMBA TO APPEAR IN THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE IN BUEA OVER CRIMINAL CHARGES

Dear Rev. Fathers,

Rev. Brothers and Sisters,

All Christ’s Lay Faithful,

People of Goodwill in Mamfe Diocese;

The Lord is risen Alleluia – Yes he is truly risen Alleluia.

On Monday the 17th of April, 2017, while We, of the Diocese of Mamfe, were celebrating our Priestly Ordinations and basking in our quiet enjoyment in Manyu Division, some  people totally unkown to us from Fako Division, namely, Dr. John Lyonga Efande, Ikome Williams Ligange and Alianto Ngala, through their Legal Counsel, Barrister Achu Julius Ngu Tabe, dragged us to the Court of First Instance in Buea, Fako Division and caused the State Counsel of the same Fako to summon the Bishops of Buea, Mamfe and Kumba to appear in Court on Monday the 24th of April, 2017 at 9 am prompt. The seven charges against the Bishops could be summarized in that the Bishops have refused to reopen the Catholic schools and thus supporting the illegal strike of the Anglophone Teachers. These people are requesting that the Bishops be convicted and imprisoned and pay damages of 150 Billion CFA.

Coming at the splash of the Easter Joy, I can only see an attempt to spread the reign of darkness and get the prince of this world attempt to spoil our Easter Graces. But as you all know, the devil is a liar and we shall not give him the opportunity. I can only talk to you at this kind of trying moment in the words of Jesus who said to his Apostles, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me”(Jn.14:1).

As the Bishop of Mamfe, I stand by the Communiqué which all the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province wrote saying that “We have never closed schools and our doors remain open”. The Bishop of Mamfe does not live in Fako, nor does he own schools in Fako and this makes me worried that anybody can sit down in any part of the country and decide that I am a criminal and I have to go to court to prove that I am not.  It is all a calculated attempt by some forces  of darkness, that we shall get to know sooner than later, to humiliate, intimidate and incriminate  the Church and rub the bishops in mud with wanton disregard and disrespect for God, whom these men in spite their human weaknesses, represent. They may end up discovering that they are fighting against God himself(Acts 5:39). It is the reign of the anti-Christ and this is not new. It is a struggle between light and darkness, it is a battle between good and evil, it is a wrestle between sin and righteousness and a confrontation of truth and lies. This is exactly what happened to my Boss who is the Son of a carpenter, Jesus Christ. He was blackmailed and dragged from Annas the High priest to Caiphas and then finally put before Pontius Pilate who unjustly condemned him to death. Shame to death! On the third day he rose again from the dead – Alleluia. Now he lives to die no more.  Jesus told us to expect this when he said; “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me”(Jn.15:18-21).

As a true and law abiding son of this country, I will respect the call of the law of the state and appear before the court of Frist Instance in Buea on Monday, 24th April, 2017 at 9.am prompt. I will not waste Diocesan money, which we don’t have, to hire a lawyer and I will not prepare any defense because I believe in Christ who said : “Watch out! Men will hand you over to the local courts. They will whip you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings because of me. You will be witnesses to them and to those who aren’t Jews.  “But when they arrest you, don’t worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the right words to say. It will not be you speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.”(Mtt.10:17-20).

I therefore call on all Christians of Mamfe to do the following:

Stay calm and restrain from any acts of violence, be it verbal, physical or even psychological,  that will only make the situation worse. This is a call I made to all the Motor Bike Riders on the 31st of December, 2016 and to all the Youth of the Diocese during the World Youth Day on the 9th of April, 2017 and I am repeating to all Christians of Mamfe today.

Done on  the 22nd of April 2017, which is the 25th Anniversary of my ordination to the Sacred Priesthood

His Lordship Bishop Andrew Nkea

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 3 Roman Catholic Bishops to stand trial

18, April 2017

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 3 Roman Catholic Bishops to stand trial 0

Three Roman Catholic Bishops will appear before a court in the Bamenda province of Southern Cameroons for not intervening to ask parents to send their children to school. The plaintiffs backed by the corrupt regime in Yaoundé are claiming the sum of 150 billion CFA francs in damages.

The spiritual leader of the Bamenda ecclesiastic province, Archbishop Cornelius Esua, his deputy, Bishop Michael and His Lordship Bishop George Nkou of the Kumbo Diocese were summoned to appear before a court in Bamenda on Friday April the 21st for their possible role in the strike action orchestrated by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.  The summons was given to the Bishops a few days ago, during the Holy Week by a regime headed by a Roman Catholic Christian with good ties with the Vatican.

The civil parties constitute a group of parents whose children are enrolled in Catholic schools and they claim that the prelates have not done enough to ensure the resumption of classes in Catholic institutions ever since the Southern Cameroons crisis started last year.

The Southern Cameroons Bishops who are by extrapolation members of Pope Francis cabinet have argued that they have never closed any Roman Catholic academic establishment.  Barrister Richard Nde who has opted to defend the Bishops told Radio France International that the trial is basically political. “There is nothing concrete. It is only the interest of money and the political aspect.”

In February, the West Cameroon Episcopal Conference stressed in a statement that the Anglophone crisis was symptomatic of a deep “socio-political” crisis. The bishops then argued that the numerous killings, arrests, torture , rapes and the shutdown of the Internet had aggravated the situation. Relations between the State and the Church remain strained even though President Paul Biya was received last month by the Holy Father Pope Francis at the Vatican.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Archbishop of Douala says attack on Anglophone Bishops is “sacrilegious”

18, April 2017

Archbishop of Douala says attack on Anglophone Bishops is “sacrilegious” 0

The President of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, Archbishop Samuel Kléda has denounced the Yaoundé regime’s fierce attack on Southern Cameroons Bishops. The Archbishop of the Douala Diocese say Roman Catholic Bishops of the Bamenda ecclesiastical province cannot be held responsible for the closure of denominational schools as claimed by the a group backed by the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime.

The Man of God observed that the attack on the Roman Catholic Church by government agents is a real scandal! The Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala told Radio Equinoxe that the Catholic Church did not orchestrate the Anglophone crisis that has paralyzed the English-speaking regions since November 2016. He pointed out that the Southern Cameroons Bishops did not shut down the private and public schools.  Archbishop Kleda wondered aloud if the so-called Consortium of Parents that sued the Anglophone Bishops will also file a complaint against those responsible for private and public institutions.

Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua, his assistant Bishop Michael Bibi, the bishop of Kumbo Diocese George Nkuo, and the principal of the Sacred Heart College of Mankon, are expected to appear before the Bamenda Court of First Instance on Friday, April 21, 2017, to answer the charges against them. The two plaintiffs are senior officers of the Cameroonian army. They blame the respondents for collecting tuition fees on behalf of the school year, which is drawing to a close, without giving anything as a course. Therefore, they are claiming compensation of 150 million FCFA.

Monday, April 17, 2017 was the day of resumption of classes for the 3rd quarter of the school year 2016/2017 throughout the national territory. In Buea and Bamenda as in other towns in the South-West and North-West Regions, several schools belonging to the Anglophone educational sub-system, including denominational schools of the Catholic Church, have not been opened.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Eyong Johnson

Pope Francis dismisses priest convicted of stealing

8, April 2017

Pope Francis dismisses priest convicted of stealing 0

Pope Francis has dismissed a Roman Catholic priest from New Hampshire who was convicted of stealing $300,000 from a hospital, a bishop and a deceased priest’s estate.

Monsignor Edward Arsenault, who served as the face of the church in the state during a sex abuse scandal, pleaded guilty to three theft charges in 2014 and is serving a jail sentence.

The Diocese of Manchester said Friday that Arsenault no longer has “faculties to act, function, or present himself as a priest.” Prosecutors said Arsenault billed the church for lavish meals and travel for himself and often a male partner.

He was convicted of writing checks from the dead priest’s estate to himself and his brother and billing a hospital $250 an hour for consulting work he never did.

Presstv

 

When the Pope receives a President like Paul Biya who is 84 years old, has been in power for almost 35 years— what does he say?

28, March 2017

When the Pope receives a President like Paul Biya who is 84 years old, has been in power for almost 35 years— what does he say? 0

Ludovic

Rev. Father Ludovic Lado has condemned the Rectors Conference of Italian Universities and the Vatican for the red carpet treatment accorded the evil butcher of Yaoundé, President Paul Biya. In a strongly worded academic article entitled “Diplomacy as Hypocrisy: the Biya system in Rome and the Vatican”, the Cameroonian prelate expressed his disapproval of the honors granted to Mr. Biya during his last visit to Italy and the Vatican observing that both the Vatican and the Italian government are aware that the system Biya has been embodying for nearly 35 years continues to crush and repress the Cameroonian people.

Father Ludovic pointed out that the Gold Medal awarded to Paul Biya by the Rectors’ Conference of Italian Universities (CRUI) for his achievements in the field of higher education is more like a mockery to the millions of poor Cameroonians. The much respected Revered Father Ludovic Lado also opined that the Biya visit to Rome and the Vatican was nothing but “diplomacy of hypocrisy punctuated by compromises and silences accomplices and guilt.”

On the visit of Paul Biya to the Vatican, Father Ludovic wonders what the Pope and the President of Cameroon could well say. “When I learn that President Biya will be received by Pope Francis, the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, I cannot help but think of the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate during his passion. Jesus who said to Pilate: “I was born and I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Whoever is of the truth hears my voice. And Pilate said unto him, what is truth? (Jn 18: 37-38). I then wondered whether the dialogue between President Biya and the Pope will be centered on truth, the one that will liberate Mr Biya and his people (Jn 8:32).

Father Ludovic regretted that the Church is moving away from its own teachings in the name of diplomacy. Diplomacy is a system whose very essence is hypocrisy and it is a game of masks and images that overshadows the truth and feeds on human lives.

By Sama Ernest with files from Cameroun Info.Net

Chantal Biya at the Vatican: Any message for our violated women?

25, March 2017

Chantal Biya at the Vatican: Any message for our violated women? 1

Without Paul Biya in her life, Chantal Biya like many ordinary women in the society would have been an adorable person in her own right.  Her background is an attribute of resilience, admirable courage, and commendable ability to make the best out of an ordinary citizen’s daily lifestyle.  That is the lifestyle which a majority of ordinary men and women live and survive with joy and satisfaction.

She knows the toil and tribulations of a hard life and the exceedingly harsh reality of the sacrifices endured by poor parents, some of them single mothers, in raising their children with hope and faith in God as their most valued treasure. She knows that the poor in our societies are held together by the value systems that place humans and humans alone at the center of society’s preoccupation. Indeed she is aware that among these values are the deep commitment of society, at large, in particular, the poor and down trodden to protect the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life.

She knows that the greatest miracle of human life in our poor societies is the ability of poor parents to toil and sacrifice their lives to provide their children with the education and better lives they did not have. She knows that this miracle includes the fact that many times poor people’s kids compete in their educational pursuits with the children of the rich and powerful and prevail.

Ordinarily, she will be doing grave injustice to herself, were she to forget this world from which she rose to become a Presidential wife.  Has she, has she not? The answer may perforce not be discerned from the plethora of opportunistic sycophants and hypocritical stooges who have elevated praising her and her husband Paul Biya to a life sustaining credo. To this category of nitwits Chantal and Paul Biya are the very oxygen of their lives. But wait a minutes!  Has a woman from very humble but admirable beginnings become the goddess she is often portrayed by these demented jesters?

From when she became the wife of President Paul Biya, Chantal Biya took upon herself another life; a life of opulence, avarice, power and political philanthropy. She transformed Jeanne Irene Biya Foundation to Chantal Biya Foundation and thus an Alibaba empire of graft and sesame to unbridled wealth was established by her and for her glory. It may not matter that she her last paying job was when she was a priceless ordinary hardworking young lady in search of a livelihood under stultifying circumstances. That was when hard earned income elevated the spirit and blessed the dignity of visionary hard working children of ordinary mortals like you and me. That was when human values, the sanctity and dignity of the human person kept her closer to spiritual values of collective pain and joy that hold our societies together and gives societal cohesion its relevance.

But since fate and destiny brought Chantal Biya to the centre of power, she seems to be comfortable not just with the trappings of power but with the web of criminality that sustains absolute power by hook or by crook.  Until the genocide and crimes against humanity against the Southern Cameroons in which rape as a weapon of systemic criminality has been unleashed on Southern Cameroons girls and women were escalated by Paul Biya, it was hard to conclusively state the position Chantal holds within the crime syndicate  overseeing these and other crimes.

It can now be conclusively stated without any fear of contradiction, that Chantal Biya not only condones these crimes, she encourages them. As a woman and mother she has not raised her voice to condemn the systemic widespread rapes of girls in the University of Buea and parts of the Southern Cameroons.  It is unknown if in her youth she was ever a victim of rape, but she surely knows from her humble background, the pain, humiliation, shame and enduring violated spirit of rape victims. She knows for sure that the use of rape as a weapon of war, crimes against humanity and genocide which her husband is practicing against Southern Cameroons women is a violation of the very essence and substance of humanity. So therefore, how does she feel living with man who is perpetrating these crimes against not just the victims but all women worldwide?

On the supposed International Women’s day celebration, she sat in one of her many moments of glory surrounded by other spiritually and morally depraved women and sycophants. It never crossed her mind that on that occasion and on that very day, millions of women in the Southern Cameroons were at home protesting the systemic rapes and indignities that her husband had ordered. As she sat there with her own daughter basking in the glory of absolute power and prurient arrogance, it did not occur to her that the conditions she left to become the public face of a crime syndicate could well come back to confront her.

The visit of Paul Biya and Chantal Biya to the Vatican was a rare moment when she seemed to take her life into her own hands and presented an image of a frail human being; at least for one.  Although expiation and the salvific predisposition of each person is individual and belongs to that person and his or her God, it was discernible that Chantal Biya’s conduct and actions on meeting the Pope gave an insightful view of some one suffering from spiritual imprisonment requiring deliverance. In this regard, she seemed a victim as much as a participant in crimes of the unfolding genocide and other crimes targeting Southern Cameroonians; in particular Southern Cameroonian girls.

Considering this observation to be true, it is unclear if she took advantage of her presence and prayerful moment during and after her visit in the Vatican to take a strong stand against the crimes perpetrated by her husband in the Southern Cameroons. It must be brought home to her that violating the humanity of a single woman is a violation of the very temple of human existence. She must condemn it and cause her husband Paul Biya to reverse the cause of criminality in the Southern Cameroons in which he is committed. Not doing so, will consign the theatrics of her Vatican visit to the pantheons of Nollywood movie industry where it should belong.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai in Rome

Pope Francis holds audience with Biya calls for respect of minority rights

24, March 2017

Pope Francis holds audience with Biya calls for respect of minority rights 0

Pope Francis received Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, in a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday. A press release from the Holy See Press Office said their talks were “cordial.”

During the discussions, the good relations existing between the Holy See and Cameroon were mentioned, as well as the important contribution of the Church to the development of the country, particularly in the fields of education and care.

The peaceful co- existence and mutual respect among the different religious groups was also on the agenda and attention was paid to the importance of promoting national cohesion, strengthening the richness of the various historical and cultural traditions of the country, Human rights and minorities.

The Holy Father and the Cameroonian dictator also exchanged “views on certain topics of international interest, with particular reference to the current challenges affecting the region. President Biya later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, who was accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of State in charge of Relations.

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai

Giant lie about Eseka train disaster: Name of Roman Catholic priest not on list of victims

22, February 2017

Giant lie about Eseka train disaster: Name of Roman Catholic priest not on list of victims 0

The name of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Carlo Girola who died in the Eseka train accident is not on the list published by the regime in Yaounde. Relatives of the deceased priest also believe that Camrail and the ruling CPDM crime syndicate are maintaining a kind of vagueness on the number of victims and dividing the families so that they cannot meet and form a bloc to challenge the government.

The announcement of the death of Father Carlo Girola, Parish priest of Oyom-Abang in Yaounde, had caused consternation among the parishioners. Four months after the tragedy, the members of Oyom-Abang community say they do not understand the attitude of the Government. The Roman Catholics of this community say they are shocked by the will of the authorities to keep a blur around the drama. According to them, no official information has been disclosed regarding the progress of the investigation.

Rev. Father Angeel, the current Parish priest was quoted as saying that “We can see that the government is maintaining a deliberate silence so that the grieving families forget that an investigation was commissioned.” Father Angeel further added that “We do not understand how a government reported 78 deaths, but when we identified the body of our brother, he was numbered 121. And when we went to Camrail with the death certificate, we were surprised to find that his name was not on the list of victims.”

According to Rev. Father Angeel, the greatest regret today is mostly the fact of not having recovered the personal belongings of Father Carlo Girola. “He was the accountant of our community and he had his laptop on him that contained all the financial data of the community.” “However, a few days after the tragedy, I called the DO of Eséka whom I know well and he made me understand that the personal belongings of the victims were kept in a train station in Eséka. But until today, we have no news.”

 “We are not asking the Government, let alone Camrail, to give us any money. For even if they were to give us fifteen millions, it would be nothing compared to our brother whom we have lost. The only thing we want is that the truth be said and that such a tragedy does not happen again, “he says.

By Sama Ernest

Buea Catholic Education Secretary, the Bishops and the strike: Love the sinner, hate the sin approach

9, February 2017

Buea Catholic Education Secretary, the Bishops and the strike: Love the sinner, hate the sin approach 2

If “actions speak louder than words,” as the saying goes, the message from the Anglophone Roman Catholic Bishops on reopening of schools is increasingly confusing. On the one hand, the Bishops had reiterated the Church’s stance on the Anglophone problem and even repeatedly condemned the rapes, killings and arbitrary arrest going on in Southern Cameroons.  However both in their recent deeds – most notably the press release from the Catholic Education Secretary in Buea, have left an impression in many minds that the Roman Catholic Church in Anglophone Cameroon is badly in need of new leadership.

It is not only the leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and their majority following who have observed these mixed signals but the entire nation including even Francophone political elites. The statement from the Catholic Education Secretary in the Dioceses of Buea has also raised the issue of legitimate authority.

Roman Catholic schools and colleges belong to the Bishops and only the Bishops have legitimate authority to open or close those institutions. For an Education Secretary to have come out strong during this difficult period in Southern Cameroons history is very disturbing. Many Roman Catholics can’t help but suspect that the recent shift in position has been orchestrated from the presidency of the republic via its brutal Secret Service.  It will be hard for West Cameroonians to uphold Catholic traditions if the Bishops fail to come out clean.

This editorial is presented with love and respect for the Bishops in answer to their call for open dialogue to resolve the Anglophone problem.  President Biya has chosen to remain silent at key intervals, most especially in the aftermath of the historic memorandum sent to him by the Anglophone Bishops. This significant shift in the earlier position regarding the Anglophone problem is completely unacceptable to both the detained and interim leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

Although the Consortium has not asked for comment from the Episcopal Conclave, we of this publication think that it would be proper for the Bishops to clarify their current decision. But if it is true that the Anglophone Bishops have ordered Roman Catholic academic establishments in Southern Cameroons to reopen their doors, then it is indeed a defeat for humanity.

The Anglophone Roman Catholic Bishops may as well be following the Holy Father Pope Francis “who am I to judge” comment leaving Biya and his Francophone Beti Ewondo regime to ride over Southern Cameroonians. Equally concerning is the fact that the Bishops of Cameroon Conference that recently held in Mamfe, the chief town in Manyu Division failed to condemn the rapes, extra judicial killings and arbitrary arrest going on in Southern Cameroons. This is the “love the sinner, hate the sin” approach.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

 

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