14, March 2026
Catholic Men in Cameroon express excitement about envisioned Pope’s visit 0
The National President of the Catholic Men Association (CMA) in Cameroon has pledged that members of the association will be “present in every activity” of the April 15–18 planned visit of Pope Leo XIV to the central African country.
In a Thursday, March 12 interview with ACI Africa, Okie Johnson Ndoh said the confirmation of the Pope’s visit has been received with excitement among Catholic men in Cameroon and other members of the group living in the diaspora.
“We received this news with total joy, excitement, and fulfilment. At last, the rumour is confirmed. The Pope is coming,” Mr. Ndoh told ACI Africa.
He added, “The CMA is totally mobilised. We are engaged in every activity, being the fathers of the Church, in our role to assist the Church, the Bishops, the Priests, especially as the Pope comes.”
Mr. Ndoh emphasized that the association is ready to support the Church during the papal visit, noting that Catholic men see themselves as pillars of the Church and leaders within their families and communities.
“Our mobilisation will be total, we will be present in every activity, in every event that the Pope has,” he said.
The Catholic official continued, “CMA will be very present at every single event of the Pope and in every activity that the Church thinks necessary to involve the CMA.”
The CMA President who is also serving as the general coordinator of the papal visit in Cameroon, described his task as a moment of pride for the association.
“I call on all CMA members, wherever you are, to mobilize, and to be behind the Church in every activity that is going on. Be it in Yaoundé, be it in Bamenda, be it in Douala. All of us must be present and show our leading role,” he said.
Mr. Ndoh encouraged Catholic men across Cameroon and abroad to take part in welcoming the Pope, describing the moment as an opportunity to demonstrate humility, service, and commitment to the Church.
He emphasized that the Pope’s visit comes at a time when Cameroon continues to face social and political challenges, and urged Catholics to receive the Pope’s message of peace and reconciliation.
“You know the Pope is coming with a message of peace. He is coming as a messenger of peace,” he said, and added, “All of us must therefore put our hands together to pray in total commitment that this message of peace, love, reconciliation, and forgiveness be received by all.”
Mr. Ndoh noted that members of the association have been praying for peace in Cameroon since 2019, an d expressed optimism that the papal visit would be the height of prayers for peace in the country.
Calling on Catholic men to deepen their prayer life, he added that the papal visit should inspire Cameroonians to forgive one another and rebuild unity.
Meanwhile, preparations are also underway to ensure that the liturgical celebrations during the papal visit reflect both the universal traditions of the Church and the cultural richness of Cameroon.
Fr. Antoine Essomba Fouda, a member of the national liturgical preparation team, told ACI Africa that papal liturgies follow specific canons.
“The papal liturgy obeys the canons of simplicity, sobriety, and solemnity,” Fr. Fouda said, and added, “For the requirements of inculturation, the Church in Cameroon will ensure that this liturgy is inculturated in its gestures, sacred songs, and responses.”
According to the Catholic Priest, choirs and cultural expressions will play a significant role in the celebrations across the three cities that will host the Pope.
He told ACI Africa that in Douala there will be a choir of about 600 people, in Bamenda about 400, and another choir of no less than 200 or 300 people dressed in traditional costumes.
Fr. Fouda emphasized that while the celebrations will highlight Cameroon’s cultural richness, the focus will remain on prayer and worship.
“This liturgy will be festive but at the same time prayerful,” he said, adding that the papal visit in Cameroon should remain “a moment of prayer, elevation and praise to the Lord.”
He also revealed that the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) entrusted him with coordinating preparations with the Vatican’s Office of Liturgical Celebrations.
“The National Episcopal Conference has put me on a mission to meet the Master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy Father, Monsignor Ravelli, so that we can prepare this liturgy,” he said.
Fr. Fouda invited Catholics from across the country to participate in the liturgical celebrations planned in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala.
“I invite all Christians from Cameroon, wherever they are, to come and participate in these liturgical celebrations… for the greatest glory of God and our own sanctification,” he said.
Source: ACI Africa
15, March 2026
Ambazonia Interim Gov’t reacts to Pope Leo’s visit 0
The Visit of His Holiness the Pope to French Cameroun and Ambazonia
The people of the former British Southern Cameroons, now known as Ambazonia, take note of the visit of His Holiness, the Pope, to French Cameroun and Ambazonia in April this year, at a time when our land has endured nine years of a devastating and unresolved war of genocide.
As Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Sovereign of the Vatican City, and a global moral voice for peace and justice, the Pope carries not only spiritual authority but also a profound responsibility to stand with the oppressed, the suffering, and the voiceless.
Ambazonia holds the Church in deep respect. In our towns and villages, Catholic parishes have long been pillars of faith, education, healthcare, and community life. In times of fear and displacement, some Church leaders have kept the moral value of the church by speaking truth to power and the Church has often been a place of refuge. For this, we remain grateful.
We therefore call upon Roman Catholic faithful across Ambazonia to come out in large numbers to welcome the Holy Father warmly and peacefully. Let them receive him with dignity, and let them tell him their story firsthand. The widows, the orphans, the displaced, the imprisoned, and the silenced must have their voices heard. The Church must keep its moral standard and remain steadfast in truth.
For nine years, Ambazonia has witnessed a war of genocide ongoing, grave human rights violations, destruction of communities, displacement of civilians, and the imprisonment of political leaders and activists. Among those detained are the Nera-10 and many other political prisoners held in the prisons of French Cameroun. Amid this tragedy, the Catholic Church stands as one of the few moral institutions that has courageously attempted to chart a peaceful path toward justice and dialogue.
As far back as 2017, the Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province proposed a clear and constructive roadmap aimed at ending the escalating violence and opening a pathway for genuine negotiations between the government of French Cameroon and the people of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia). Their proposal called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, sincere dialogue, and the addressing of the root causes of the crisis. Tragically, this well-intentioned and morally grounded initiative was ignored by the French Cameroun government.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe, the late Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, a revered servant of God and respected national figure, took an even more courageous step. Determined to ensure that the voice of the people would be heard, Cardinal Tumi spearheaded a broad consultation among the people of Southern Cameroons to determine what they believed to be the most just and permanent solution to the conflict.
Despite numerous obstacles placed in the way of organizing the Anglophone General Conference by the French Cameroun Government, Cardinal Tumi and other religious leaders proceeded to conduct a wide consultation and survey among Ambazonians at home and in the diaspora. The results were clear and unmistakable: the overwhelming majority of respondents expressed their desire for complete independence as the only viable path to lasting peace, dignity, and justice.
This consultation represented one of the most credible and transparent attempts to democratically capture the aspirations of the people during the ongoing conflict. It was an effort grounded in moral authority, consultation, and peaceful resolution rather than violence. Unfortunately, these findings, like the earlier proposals of the Bishops, were largely ignored by the authorities of French Cameroun.
Today, as the war continues to claim innocent lives and devastate communities, it is important to remember that peaceful pathways were offered. The Church provided a moral compass and created opportunities for negotiations. The people themselves expressed their aspirations through consultation. The tragedy of this war of genocide is not only the violence we witness on a daily basis, but also the missed opportunities for peace that could have prevented years of bloodshed. Peace cannot be built on silence or denial. It must be built on truth, justice, and the freely expressed will of the people.
As Ambassador for Peace, the Pope speaks truth to power. We plead with him to address openly the realities of the war in Ambazonia and to call unequivocally for:
1. An immediate cessation of hostilities;
2. The release of the Nera-10 and all political prisoners;
3. Protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law;
4. A genuine, inclusive, and internationally mediated dialogue aimed at a negotiated settlement of the conflict.
The Holy See has historically played important roles in mediation and reconciliation across the world. We believe the Vatican can once again offer its high office as neutral ground for negotiations. We therefore call upon the Holy See to recognize the efforts that were made and to support renewed, credible, and inclusive negotiations that respect the clearly expressed will and dignity of the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia.
Ambazonia stands ready and willing to meet with the Pope at the Vatican in Rome and to engage sincerely in any initiative undertaken by the Vatican to bring about peace, justice, and a sustainable political solution. Our people desire not perpetual conflict, but dignity, security, and the right to determine their future through peaceful means.
This visit can not be ceremonial alone. It must be prophetic. It must be courageous. It must reflect the moral clarity that the world expects from the Chair of Saint Peter.
May truth guide this moment.May justice anchor it.And may peace finally take root in our land.
Dabney Yerima
Vice President the Federal Republic of Ambazonia