Cameroon’s Lone Cardinal Tumi, Journeys Beyond
The former Archbishop of the Metropolitan Diocese of Douala, His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi has died, Church sources have confirmed. The initiator of the Anglophone General Conference died in Douala this morning.
Born on October 15, 1930, in Kikaikelaki, Bui division in the northwest region, Christian Cardinal Tumi dies just a few months to clock 91 years.
He was ordained on April 17, 1966, and appointed Cardinal on June 28, 1988, by Pope John Paul II. His last title where he exercised duties was the Archbishop of the Douala Metropolitan Diocese where he was replaced by Archbishop Samuel Kleda in 2009.
His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi was a man of vigor who used the Church and power of God in him to change lives of Cameroonians. His critical stance on government policies pushed him to seek for lasting peace process to the armed conflict in Anglophone Cameroon, when he created the Anglophone General Conference, AGC, that never met.
In late 2019, Cardinal Tumi led a survey of 1000 respondents in the political future of Southern Cameroons( northwest and southwest regions) and 70 percent said they were in favour of independence. Weeks after the survey, he led a Religious delegation to Prime Minister Dion Ngute and handed him a 400 pages summary of what the Church thinks are the solutions to the conflict.
“We handed two documents to the Prime Minister. We sent out a questionnaire and about a thousand people responded around the world. And we have summarized it, so to speak, in a book of about 400 pages. But this book is only a summary for those who are lazy to read the big one. They can read it in a few minutes and get an idea of what’s in the more elaborate book.
“We handed all these documents to the Prime Minister. It is up to them to exploit it as they wish. We were invited to the meeting and we accepted. Therefore, we pray, as religious leaders, for our country to regain the peace it enjoyed. Because hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens are dying and some are suffering in the bushes. Some die of hunger, others of illness. This should not continue.” He told the press.
Cardinal Tumi who is quoted to have said that most of the Ambazonia Separatist fighters fighting the State in the northwest and southwest regions are from Nigeria, had been kidnapped twice. In November 2020, he was kidnapped in Ngoketundjia division, northwest region, as he accompanied the Fon of Nso home.
Video of Cardinal Tumi In Bed Sparks Outrage
Early Saturday April 3, 2021, a video was shared on social media space showing the deceased Cardinal Tumi in his modest bedroom. A voice is heard in the video saying that the Cardinal will soon be prepared for the mortuary. Just hours after the video circulated, there has been an outrage within the Catholic community, medical council and the administration.
Police in Douala arrested a Nurse and medical Doctor suspected to have circulated the viral video of the late Cardinal Tumi. The Minister of Public Health, Dr Manaouda Malachie said on Twitter that an investigation has been opened to determine the culprits.
The national Medical Council has said severe sanctions await anyone in the medical corps found guilty of circulating the video of the prelate on the death bed.
