The Purpose and Expectations of the Pope’s Visit to Cameroon
By Fr. Muma
A few friends have called me to find out about the purpose and expectations of the Pope’s visit and why to Cameroon? It seems many people are asking the same question, so I thought it wise to answer some of these questions.
The Pope, while he is also looked upon as the political leader and head of State of the Vatican City State, is above all, the pastoral and moral leader and head of the Catholic Church, constituting some 1.4 billion persons. There are two protocols for the Pope to visit a sovereign nation. First, an invitation by the Bishops Conference of that territory and the other by the civil authority of that nation which in this case will be the Government of Cameroon and the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NEC). The question about why the invitation this time by both bodies currently is a matter of debate. However, each time a Pope is visiting a country as is the case of Cameroon, the goals and objectives are always the same: to bring the Gospel message, to encourage and strengthen the faith of the people, to call for peace and reconciliation and for the respect of the rights and dignity of each human person.
First the blessings of Cameroon as Africa in miniature with both the English and French speaking cultures prevalent throughout Africa, make it a palatable choice. Secondly, the invitation of both the Cameroon government and Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, the prevalent moral, economic and socio-political crisis in Cameroon makes it a viable choice for the Pope’s visit.
As noted, that as much as the Pope is the political leader, however, his primary purpose of visiting Cameroon is pastoral. In the context of a pastoral visit some have claimed that he is not coming to tell Paul Biya what to do, which is completely absurd. Pastoral exhortation is not some mere generic abstract statements about morality but involves creating awareness and the call to address the moral and socio-political crisis specifically plaguing a society. How will the pope call for an address of such crisis without particularly calling on the stakeholders? How will the Pope bring the Gospel messages without addressing specifically the injustices perpetrated by those involved?
It is therefore the expectations of Cameroonians to hear the moral authority of the Christian faith, the Pope, calls for the release of prisoners of conscience, like the Nera 9, a call for genuine dialogue between the government and separatist fighters in order to bring an end to the Anglophone Crisis, an end to violence and extrajudicial killings by both the government soldiers and separatist fighters. Investigations into the killings of some clergies, those in consecrated life and innocent civilians killed by the Government of Paul Biya, the kidnapping and killings by Separatist fighters, a fair and just electoral system and fight against corruption and mismanagements. The Pope will likely exhort the Cameroon ecclesiastical authority to speak the truth with courage and to practice being voice of the voiceless. If the pope doesn’t address these and many others, please don’t blame the Pope, blame those that are inviting him. May the Holy Father’s visit usher in a moment of justice and peace for Cameroon.
