Vatican: Catholic Bishops in Cameroon Aim at “rekindling” People’s Faith after Ad Limina Visit ⁰

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