A Catholic priest and three Catholic teachers in Cameroon’s troubled southwest region are recovering from bullet wounds after they were shot in what church authorities say was a targeted attack on a Catholic primary school Sept. 26.

The attack comes amid the country’s struggle with seven years of separatist violence, and the Catholic Church still seems to be the only possible peace-negotiating partner.

According to Father Christopher Eboka, who is the Mamfe Diocese’s director of communications, the attackers entered the Catholic primary school in St. Martin of Tour’s Kembong Parish in search of Father Elvis Mbangsi.

“It was toward break time (around 11 a.m.) and the priest was in class. Four gunmen came (to the school compound) on two motorbikes. It seems three of the four did not know who the father was — they expected him to be in clerical garments,” Father Eboka explained to OSV News.

“Three of the assailants were asking where the father was. When they went round without seeing the father, they caught the teachers, whom they forced to sit on the ground. It was when they sat on the ground that one of the attackers realized that one of (them) was Father (Mbangsi),” the priest explained.

“They did not ask any questions, they didn’t say anything. They just shot the three of them. They shot Father (Mbangsi) four times. They shot him on the left wrist, shot him on the right thigh … on the left knee and … on the right foot. The other teachers had two gunshots each on the legs,” Father Eboka explained.

School staff are recovering from gunshots in the hospital. “The priest is doing well,” said Father Eboka.

He told OSV News that he was accompanying the priest and the four teachers at the Bamenda Regional Hospital where they received medical assistance. Father Mbangsi “has four bullet wounds and is responding to treatment so far, and the teachers are also responding to treatment. Thank God, none of them died,” the communications director explained.

“It was a targeted attack, but no one knows exactly what their problem was,” he added.

This is the second time a priest from the Kembong parish has been assaulted. Father Cosmas Ombato Ondari, a priest of Kenyan descent serving in the parish, was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire by government soldiers and separatist gunmen Nov. 21, 2018.

In the course of the separatist war in Cameroon, now in its seventh year, Christians and their churches have been the subject of numerous attacks.

On Oct. 4, 2018, seminarian Gérard Anjiangwe was killed in front of St. Teresa Church in Bamessing, in northwestern Cameroon. Father Alexander Sob Nougi was fatally shot on the Buea-Muyuka highway July 20 the same year. A week before, troops in Batibo in the northwest region viciously murdered the Rev. Isaac Atoh, a Pentecostal minister of Ghanaian origin.

In September 2022, 60 unknown assailants thought to be separatist rebels set fire to St. Mary Catholic Church in the village of Nchang, in the Diocese of Mamfe. Nine people were taken hostage, including five clergymen, one religious sister and a lay Christian.

Cameroon was once a German colony, but when Germany was defeated after the First World War in 1918, the territory was shared between the victorious powers: Britain and France. Britain got the territory known today as the northwest and southwest regions, which represent 20% of the nation’s territory.

However, the country’s majority French-speaking citizens have long been accused of marginalizing and attempting to assimilate English-speaking citizens.

Violence erupted in the country in 2016, following peaceful strikes by English-speaking teachers and lawyers. They called for the English language to be given full recognition in public administration, the judiciary and the education and healthcare sectors. A separatist uprising ensued and fighting started for the independence of Cameroon’s English-speaking regions. In response, the central government first remained silent on the situation, then suppressed the Anglophone protest movement.

In seven years of fighting, at least 6,000 people have been killed, according to Human Rights Watch, and more than a million were forced to flee their homes.

As the conflict rages on, the church has been caught in the middle, trying to negotiate a way out of the conflict.

“For the past six years, the church has been suffering,” said Father Zephyrinus Mbuh, national secretary for Catholic education.

“The church tried to propose a solution to the crisis and on the one hand, those who would like to separate and have a different country, they accuse the church, especially the leaders of the church, of being with the government. And at the same time the government looks at the leaders of the church (asking) … are you … with our enemies?” he said.

“And the question is, if we really want one country, can we have enemies within the same country? We shouldn’t have enemies. We may have different interests as individuals. There is no doubt about that. But the common good is the common good and … we need to think of the welfare of one another and we need to respect one another,” Father Mbuh told OSV News.

Father Herman Birwong, a priest working in one of the flashpoints of separatist violence in the northwest region added that the church and any other neutral body “is caught between the amba boys,” as the separatist fighters are called, “and government soldiers.” The separatists are seeking their own state called Ambazonia.

He told OSV News that as a priest however, he won’t stigmatize the belligerents or run away from them, because “they are all our people. These boys holding guns are our Christians. Soldiers are also our Christians. We can’t push them away,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate that those who suffer are vulnerable parents, poor women and children,” he lamented, talking about the consequences of the ongoing conflict.

Father Mbuh said that the way forward lies in frank and sincere dialogue — the very solution the church has been proposing for years.

“What we need to do is (to) look each other in the face and say, ‘What exactly do we want as members of the same country. How can we improve our country?'” he said.

In 2019, the Cameroon government organized what it described as a Major National Dialogue to resolve the problem, but church leaders described it as rather “a monologue” as the key separatist leaders were held in prison at the time of the meeting.

Despite attacks on the church and its people, there is increasing consensus that a workable solution will only come from the Catholic Church, whose members account for 40% of Cameroon’s 27 million people.

The Brussels-based International Crisis Group has suggested precisely that, saying in a 2018 report that other than the Catholic clergy, “there are few prospective peacemakers.”

“If no one fills that role, the separatist sentiment already voiced by many Anglophones will continue to grow, fueling further violence and exacerbating the ongoing insurgency in the Anglophone regions,” the report said. The English-speaking separatists are seeking their own state called Ambazonia.

Source: UCA News

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of the Catholic Diocese of Buea in Cameroon has been honored by the country’s NewsWatch Newspaper for his “exceptional skills” in leading the people of God and managing the property of the Cameroonian Episcopal See.

In a statement announcing the award, NewsWatch Editor-in-Chief, Ndi Eugene Ndi, said the Bishop who faced opposition following his appointment to the Diocese had achieved a lot in a short period.

“Bishop Bibi was named winner of the ‘Church Management Torchbearer Award’ for manifesting exceptional skills in leading God’s people in the Diocese of Buea and for tactfully restructuring Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB) to fulfill its mission of molding entry-level professionals with moral and spiritual values,” Ndi said in the statement that was shared with ACI Africa on Friday, September 29.

According to Ndi, Bishop Bibi had been announced the winner of the award during the 10th-anniversary celebration of NewsWatch newspaper in Yaounde on August 19. The newspaper has been under the aegis of the Minister of Communication, who was represented at the event by the Inspector General in the Ministry.

The NewsWatch official said that Bishop Bibi and other recipients of various awards were voted by the newspaper’s wide community of readers and the final results were compiled by a jury of experts made up of revered media men and women in the country

The chairman of the jury of experts, Viban Jude, recognized the Bishop of Buea for putting in place “major reforms including the suppression of doubtful Lay Associations of Christ’s faithful.”

“Even with all that Bishop Bibi has achieved in so short a time as chief shepherd of the Diocese of Buea, he has always said that his achievements are not because of him alone but thanks to the marvelous collaboration he has received from his Priests, the religious and the people of God in the Diocese of Buea,” Viban said.

In June 2020, Bishop Bibi made changes at the Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB), appointing Professor Victor Julius Ngoh as Vice Chancellor, a position previously held by Fr. George Nkeze Jingwa, whom the Bishop asked to take a sabbatical leave.

Members of the University Council disapproved of the change and dragged Bishop Bibi, then Apostolic Administrator of Buea Diocese, to court.

Source: aciAfrica

Delegates to the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops are not to give “room for distractions” during the meeting scheduled to begin on October 4.

In a September 23 interview, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of the Bamenda Archdiocese said deliberations during the Synod that Pope Francis extended to 2024 will focus on the Instrumentum Laboris.

“We are not going to allow ourselves to be distracted by the social media antics; there will be no room for distraction,” Archbishop Nkea said, adding, “The aim of the synod is to reflect on the Church we have and how we want it to be and not to change the doctrine of the Church.”

The metropolitan Archbishop who was appointed member of the Ordinary Council of the synod by Pope Francis highlighted some of the issues to be discussed, saying, “We are going to reflect on the problem of LGBT+ in families and polygamy in marriage but it’s not about changing the teachings of the Church. There is already an Instrumentum Laboris we are working on.”

The Archbishop of Bamenda who doubles as the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) further said, “We have dedicated three years of effort to prepare for this event through questionnaires and a mini-African synod that was held in Ethiopia.”

“We are going to allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us,” the Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in Cameroon’s Mamfe Diocese as Coadjutor Bishop in August 2013 said.

Reflecting on how synodality was lived in Cameroon, he said, “Synodality has, so to speak, caught fire not only in Cameroon but in Africa. The synod is not a new thing to the Church in Cameroon because we have conveyed to our faithful from the very beginning what every Diocese must do to respond to Pope Francis’ call to listen to one another, progress together, share ideas, and remember that, as Christians, we must not leave anyone behind.”

He went on to explain that in Cameroon, the structural approach “begins with decisions made at the grassroot community levels.”

“The spirit of collegiality is our way of functioning. We always start with the population and the community, then proceed to missions, parishes, and the Diocese,” Archbishop Nkea said.

He noted that “when a Bishop contemplates a decision on a particular issue, the consultation process begins with the involvement of the faithful, starting with families … Together with his (Bishop’s) advisors, they make the final decision based on the input received.”

New Pastoral Year Launched in CAR Archdiocese, Cardinal Urges Faithful to “get involved”

In a break with past custom that allowed laypeople to participate in the Synod of Bishops without the right to vote, the Vatican indicated on April 26 that lay delegates to the 16th Ordinary General Assembly that was announced in March 2020 will participate as voting members.

Also speaking to ACI Africa on September 23, Bishop Georges Nkuo of Cameroon’s Kumbo Diocese said, “The Holy Father invites us to engage in dialogue to discern the kind of Church we have and the kind of Church we aspire to build in a truly evangelical spirit.”

“We aim for a Church that is closely connected to the people, one that is recognized at the periphery. While other topics may surface during the synod, the primary focus is on our collective journey and discernment,” Bishop Nkuo, who is not among the delegates to the Synod, said.

He continued, “We are a mature Church. The Holy Father does not endorse ideologies; he embraces individuals. Every human being is precious in the eyes of God. The Holy Father does not engage with organizations or NGOs that have specific agendas. We come to the Church not to change its teachings but to deepen our understanding together.”

Culled from ACI Africa

Catholic Bishops in Cameroon are eager to rekindle the faith of the people of God in the Central African nation following their September 10-16 Ad Limina Visit, the Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) has said.

In a September 16 statement, Fr. Jervis Kebei Kewi says NECC members have thanked Pope Francis for welcoming them to Rome during the visit that happens every five years.

“At the end of their pilgrimage to Rome, the Bishops go back home with thankful hearts for having consolidated their unity in the same faith, hope, and charity, and looking forward to rekindling the faith of the Cameroonian people in the immense heritage of spiritual and moral values of the whole Church, in communion with the Bishop of Rome,” Fr. Kewi says.

He says the Catholic Bishops in Cameroon “expressed their deep gratitude to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for the cordial and fatherly welcome that he gave them, and to the Cardinal Prefects and the officials of the various Dicasteries for the enlightenment and updates given them during their working visits to their offices.”

NECC members are “also deeply appreciative to the ambassadors of Cameroon to the Holy See and to the Republic of Italy, respectively, and the general community of Cameroonians living in Rome, and in Italy, for their welcome gestures and participation at Mass with them,” says Fr. Kewi.

The Catholic Bishops in Cameroon had an audience with the Holy Father on September 15, during which, under the leadership of NECC President, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda, “discussed matters affecting the life of the Catholic Church in Cameroon: the Pastoral life of the Church, the formation of priests and catechists, immigration, the upcoming Synod on Synodality, interreligious dialogue, the situation of the socio-political and economic crisis that our country, Cameroon, has been going through, and the security situation of the world at large,” says Fr. Kewi.

The Cameroonian Catholic Priest says that Pope Francis “promised to continue to pray for peace in our country and assured the Bishops of his closeness to the people of Cameroon.”

On the closing day of the visit, NECC members were received at Pontificio Collegio Urbano by the Cameroonian members of the Clergy, men and women Religious, and Laity living in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, where they celebrated a thanksgiving Mass, interacted, and shared a meal.

Source: ACI Africa

The fight against corruption entails the “formation of consciences”, the Director of Social Communications Commission of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) has said.

In a Tuesday, September 12 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Humphrey Tatah Mbuy lamented “endemic” corruption in Cameroon, saying that the Central African nation was “gradually falling apart”, and that the governance system needed an “overhaul”.

“The government has been trying to diminish the level of corruption but it is endemic. It is something that is built into the system,” said, adding, “You can’t just get up and clean it. It is difficult to wipe it out but not impossible.”

He underscored the importance of internalized value systems at individual level, saying, “There is need for the formation of consciences through proper education in values from all sectors.”

“Our African values for morality which existed before are no longer there. They have been put upside down,” Fr. Mbuy further lamented, and explained, “Three things matter to people now; money, position and possession. People no longer care whatever means they use to get these things.”

In his considered opinion, “Our morality is still to be recovered from this influence of secularism and especially Marxist materialism.”

“There is a certain amount of discretion that each Church leader must possess and which society has a right to expect from each of them. The same applies to those in public service, called to be servants of the people in their administration and political choices,” the Cameroonian Catholic Priest further said.

He went on to highlight some “moral principles” that he said “are necessary to handle corruption in Cameroonian society today.”

“First, there is absolute necessity to make amends, repair or restitution in cases of misappropriation of public funds,” the Director of Social Communications Commission of NECC told ACI Africa.

He added, “There is every reason to continue to stand on the side of good against evil, upholding integrity, rather than give in to licentiousness.”

Source: aciafrica

A Cameroonian priest has suggested that African delegates to the Synod on Synodality assembly next month at the Vatican may be quite resistant to any efforts at being more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

Writing in The Tablet last month, Fr. Ludovic Lado, S.J. reflected critically about how negatively the church in Africa has been receiving the synodal process, and specifically when it comes to questions of gender and sexuality. He writes:

“I don’t hear any of the African delegates to the Synod in Rome saying that making room for ‘everybody’ in Church means including LGBT+ people. Many may be open to the idea of making more room for women in positions of authority in the Church, but that is the farthest they can go on gender equity issues. At least for now!”

Lado, who oversees a church-run education center in Chad and is originally from Cameroon, begins with these words:

“[F]rom what I have observed, it would be difficult to say that Catholics at the grassroots in Africa are particularly excited about the upcoming Synod on synodality in Rome in October. It is business as usual in church and society – each continues unperturbed, ruled by the dogma of patriarchy, as they have been for centuries.”

Lado, author of The Politics of Gender Reforms in West Africa, acknowledges that, on women’s rights and roles in the church, “gender equality remains marginal and highly controversial” in many African nations. Religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, which dominate many countries, are central to ongoing oppression, according to Lado. In his examination of LGBTQ+ rights, he states:

“Such resistance to change enjoys powerful popular support, especially so when it is linked to the inclusion of gay people in the life of the Church and the rights of LGBT+ people. The Church has room for all – Todos, todos, todos! (‘Everyone, everyone, everyone!’) – Pope Francis told the huge crowds of young people in Portugal last week. But his message that the Church should make use of the gifts of all its members and that it should be open to all – including LGBT+ people – is not getting through in Africa. The social matrix – especially in religious communities – remains largely homophobic.”

Lado notes that Pope Francis’ statement earlier this year that “homosexuality is not a crime” was not well received by most African ecclesial and political leaders. Rather, these leaders rely on anti-gay sentiments to retain control and coalesce power. Lado concludes that such attitudes will impair African participants at the Synod assembly from being open to inclusive gestures:

“Some political leaders have mastered the art of riding on homophobic sentiments, alleging that Western lobbies are on a new mission of ideological colonisation in Africa. And I don’t recall ever having read a pastoral letter from an African bishop defending gay people from prejudice and discrimination. On the contrary, most of them cite biblical and magisterial texts to support their condemnation of homosexuality. Pope Francis urged young people in Lisbon to chant, ‘Everybody, everybody, everybody’.

“I don’t hear any of the African delegates to the Synod in Rome saying that making room for ‘everybody’ in Church means including LGBT+ people. Many may be open to the idea of making more room for women in positions of authority in the Church, but that is the farthest they can go on gender equity issues. At least for now!”

Fr. Lado’s analysis about the current Synod assembly is consistent with events at previous Synods, like those on the family in 2014-15 and on youth in 2018. The delegates from Eastern Europe and parts of African at those meetings strongly resisted any effort to improve pastoral care for LGBTQ+ people. Those delegates were all bishops, though. Perhaps, now that lay people, including women, religious, and clergy, will be delegates, there will be more African voices like Fr. Lado’s charting a different path that uplifts a church for “everybody.”

Source: New Ways Ministry

The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Bamenda Ecclesiastic Province has disowned a priest reportedly ordained in Anglophone Cameroon when the laity and the Bishop of Lugazi Diocese in Uganda questioned Mr. Francis Xavier Luyinda’s worthiness.

In a correspondence addressed to His Lordship Bishop Christopher Kakooza of the Lugazi Diocese, His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea stated that from the photos sent to the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, the bishop who performed the ordination rituals on Mr. Francis Xavier Luyinda is not a Catholic bishop.

Archbishop Nkea furthered that there are many such fake bishops in Cameroon causing confusion.

The fake priest had settled in Our Lady Consolata Catholic Parish, Bweyogere in Uganda and claimed to have been ordained in Cameroon.

In a pastoral letter dated September 4, 2023; Bishop Christopher Kakooza appealed for calm and called on Christians to wait for the official communication from the Ugandan Episcopal Conference.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

Church leaders in Cameroon’s war-ravaged English-speaking regions have launched a campaign for children to go back to school, as the Central African country prepares for the start of the 2023-2024 academic year on September 4.

The campaign, dubbed “Stronger & Better Together- Back to School Message from Religious Leaders,” challenges parents to defeat fear and to send their children to school, but it also calls on the government to create a safe environment for the country’s children to study.

Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions have been embroiled in war since 2017, with separatists fighting to create a new nation to be called “Ambazonia.” According to many observers, education has become the war’s greatest casualty.

In a December 15, 2021, report titled, “They Are Destroying Our Future: Armed Separatist Attacks on Students, Teachers, and Schools in Cameroon’s Anglophone Regions,” Human Rights Watch describes attacks on schools as “systematic and widespread” which have left students and teachers dead or kidnapped and schools destroyed.

“These attacks, the resulting fear, and the deteriorating security situation have caused school closures, with two out of three schools shut across the Anglophone regions, denying over 700,000 students access to education,” the report states.

The rights organization documented 268 abductions of students and education professionals since 2017.

Clerics in the two regions say this can’t continue, because denying kids their fundamental right to education means denying them their future.

“I have said this in season and out of season. Accepted or unaccepted, persecuted or praised, children must go to school,” said Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda.

The archbishop, who also serves as the president of the Cameroon Bishops’ Conference, explained that “school is the only way to guarantee the future of our kids. School is the only way to guarantee the future of our nation. School is the only way to guarantee the goodness and the wellbeing of families. So, school has to go on.”

He encouraged parents to “do everything possible to leave no child behind come September 2023.”

The Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo, a flash point of separatist violence, called on those calling for a boycott of schools to desist.

“We are very concerned and interested to see that many more opportunities are given to our children to go back to school,” he said.

“Please, let our children go back to school,” Nkuo said. “Don’t block them from going to school. That means there should be no violence. Wherever the children are, they should find a place to go to school,” he pleaded.

He called on parents not to be “afraid” to send their kids to school.

Bishop Michael Bibi of Buea in the country’s South West region said that a fundamental function of the Church is also to foster the education of children.

“We don’t only preach the gospel,” Bibi said. “We encourage all our children to go to school.”

“As we prepare to begin another academic year, I will like to tell all our parents, all our brothers and sisters that education is important for each and every one of us and those of us who go to school, we are laying a future for ourselves,” the cleric said.

“If we deprive ourselves of education, it is not going to be of any benefit to us and the society but if we give opportunities for our children to be educated, that will go a long way to enable them to become responsible citizens in our nation,” Bibi said.

“It is with this in mind that I want to encourage all of you to facilitate a conducive environment for the academic year. I pray that God our loving Father will accompany us within the course of this academic year as we undertake our studies,” he said.

The Executive President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Charlemagne Nditemeh, added that there should be “a peaceful and enabling environment” in which children can study.

“No matter what we have as opinion, no matter what we have as differences or grievances, there is a very important need that in every context, we should create an enabling environment where children can go to school peacefully,” he said.

For the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Rev. Fonki Samuel, the new academic year offers yet another opportunity “to change the mindset of children into responsible citizens.”

“I call on all parents to invest in our children for it is the best investment in life,” he noted.

He warned that “no one has the right to deprive our children the right to education. It is our responsibility as parents and government to make sure their right to education is respected.”

“I want to use this opportunity to plead with the government of Cameroon to grant free education to our children at the basic level,” Samuel said. “This will improve the literacy rate in Cameroon, for our nation’s development. If any society needs real growth, education is usually the magic. I pray that this academic year 2023/2024 will be a fruitful one for our children in this nation.”

Source: Crux

Catholic Bishops of Cameroon’s Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province have decried examination malpractice in the country’s 2023 session of the General Certificate of Education (GCE).

In their Tuesday, August 22 statement following a six-day meeting at Bishop’s House in Bamenda Archdiocese, members of the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference (BAPEC) call for a collective effort of all education stakeholders to end the vice, which they describe as “alarming”.

“The alarming increase in the number and types of examination malpractices registered during the 2023 session of the GCE Examination is a subject of major concern to the Bishops,” BAPEC members say in the statement issued at the end of the 75th ordinary meeting that started on August 17.

They advocate for a collaborative approach, saying, “To adequately address this problem, we need the collective efforts of teachers, parents, religious denominations, and the Ministries in charge of education for the reinforcement of education in integrity, the establishment of discipline, and a culture of hard work and merit.”

The Catholic Church leaders further urge the GCE board to ensure “a better organization of the examination” and to adopt “measures that can reduce examination malpractices.”

In the statement that the Secretary General of BAPEC, Fr. Giles Ngwa Forteh, signed, the Bishops at the helm of Bamenda Archdiocese and the Dioceses of Kumbo, Kumba, Mamfe, and Buea also reaffirm their commitment to formal education as the Central African nation prepares to usher in a new academic year.

“As we approach the beginning of the 2023/2024 Academic Year, we reaffirm our commitment to education as a basic human right that works to raise men and women out of ignorance, poverty, and level of inequalities, and ensures sustainable development,” they say in their four-page statement following the meeting that concluded August 22.

Acknowledging with appreciation stakeholders’ efforts that made the 2022/2023 academic year a success, the Bishops make “a clarion call to all communities to work together towards the reopening of their schools during the new academic year so that our children are not left behind while the world advances.”

They caution those who have in the past prevented pupils and students from going to school urging them to reconsider their decision as they are “doing an irreparable damage to humanity and to their communities.”

In the August 22 statement, BAPEC members also express concern about the disrespect of human life and dignity in the West African nation following reported killings of civilians in the country’s Bamenda region.

They note “with deep regret the continuing and unfortunate situation of wanton killing, destruction of property and the attempt to manipulate and weaponized ethnic differences for the disruption of social cohesion.”

“No one should be misled; killing is a grave sin against the commandment of God: ‘Thou shall not kill’; stealing is a sin against the 7th commandment,” the Catholic Church leaders add in reference to the book of Exodus.

They call for “a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each other, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.”

Source: aciafrica.org

Catholic Bishops of Cameroon’s Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province have unveiled liturgical guidelines in response to lamentations about “aberrations” and practices that they have described as “foreign” to Catholic worship.

In their Tuesday, August 22 statement, members of the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference (BAPEC) who include Local Ordinaries of Bamenda Archdiocese and the Dioceses of Kumbo, Kumba, Mamfe, and Buea provide five guidelines that they say are in line with Canon 835 § 1.

“For quite some time now, we have received numerous complaints about liturgical aberrations and the introduction of a wide range of practices which are completely foreign and even contradictory to Catholic piety and worship,” BAPEC members say in their statement following a six-day meeting at Bishop’s House in Bamenda Archdiocese.

The Catholic Bishops add, “As moderators, promoters, and guardians of the liturgical life of the Church entrusted to our care we, the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, acting in solidum, lay down the following liturgical guidelines.”

Offerings for Mass intentions

BAPEC members urge Priests to celebrate Holy Mass for the intention of the Christian faithful, especially the needy, even if they have not received an offering.

“The Church also instructs that Separate Masses should be applied for the intentions of those for whom a single offering, although small, has been given and accepted,” the Catholic Bishops say, making reference to Canon 948.

During the six-day meeting that concluded on August 22, the BAPEC members say they find it regrettable that the amount of 2,000 CFA Franc (US$3.30) that the Ecclesiastical Province established as offering for Holy Mass is sometimes not adhered to.

“It has been reported and verified that during retreats or meetings organized by some groups, this decision of the Bishops is changed,” BAPEC members say, and add, “The amount paid for Mass offering is reduced to 1,000 CFA Franc. This practice is manifestly wrong.”

They continue, “Those who truly do not have money can meet the Priest and ask for prayers; but if they intend to offer a Mass, they should make the sacrifice of paying the full amount of 2,000 CFA Franc.”

On Tithe, Catholic Bishops of Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province say that “the foregoing obligation will be fulfilled through the Christian Contribution Card System, which requires each Christian to pay 1% of their monthly income.”

They explain, “Priests are therefore not authorized to request or receive money as tithes or the ‘sowing of seeds,’ and Christians should strictly apply what the Bishops have laid down and be satisfied that they have fulfilled their obligation to the Lord.”

Mass Intentions at Funerals

“It is the serious obligation of the Pastor of the Parish to ensure that Mass offerings collected during funeral Masses for the purpose of celebrating Masses for the deceased are properly exonerated,” BAPEC members say.

They direct Parish Priests to “ensure that separate Masses are applied for the intentions of those for whom a single offering has been given and accepted (Canon 948).”

“This is not money to be distributed to concelebrating Priests,” the Catholic Church leaders clarify.

Collections in Learning Institutions

“In the understanding of our Provincial Pastoral Plan, the school or college is a Small Christian Community of and is pastorally dependent on the Parish within whose territorial jurisdiction it is planted,” BAPEC members say.

They go on to direct, “Money collected as Harvest Thanksgiving is part of the Thanksgiving of the Parish and should be forwarded to the Parish.”

Gifts in kind, cash

In their August 22 statement, BAPEC members fault prayer groups and individual members who donate some cash to the church during Eucharistic celebrations and follow up with directives on how it should be used.

“Such gifts are meant to contribute to the good of the Church and her works, and she has provided guidelines for their proper use,” the Catholic Church leaders say.

They add, “No one, not even the priest, can unilaterally dispose of such gifts as if they were personal property.”

Culled from aciafrica