Tag Archives: religion

The Bishop of Kumbo takes security measures for his faithful

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Bishop of Kumbo: Mgr George Nkuo says church services on Sunday the 7th of October 2018, elections day in Cameroun should take place only on the basis of security, otherwise Sunday Eucharist should be celebrated Saturday the 6th of October as from 3:30 pm while Sunday be used to pray especially the rosary at home with the families.

KD/A-103/2018/29
27th September 2018
To
The Clergy,
Consecrated Men and Women,
The Lay Faithful,
Diocese of Kumbo
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sunday Obligation, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
As the times in which we live get even tougher, insecure and uncertain, I use this chance to assure you of my spiritual closeness. In times like these, we must remain close to God, praying with the psalmist that the Lord may give us joy to balance our affliction for the years we have known misfortune (cf. Ps 90:15).
As you may well agree with me, the days ahead do not seem bright but we must face them as Christians that we are. Because of the uncertainty and insecurity, I call on all the parishes to give the Christians the opportunity, on the 27th Sunday in ordinary time, to fulfil their Sunday obligation as from Saturday evening. Sunday Masses, therefore, can be celebrated on Saturday, 06th October 2018 as from 15h30. Of course, Masses on the 07th October 2018 should equally be celebrated within the limits of the security and safety of the faithful.
The 27th Sunday in ordinary time, this year, providentially falls on the feast of Our Lady of Victory (or Our Lady of the Holy Rosary). While we remember the victory She brought at the battle of Lepanto against the Islamic invasion, let us prayerfully turn to her. Let us especially invoke her intercession and seek her maternal protection during this period of crisis in our land. If we remain attached to God, and with Mary as our companion, we will be able to sail through this difficult moment. Take time on Sunday 07th October to pray the rosary with your family.
Do keep safe. We remain united in our prayers.
Yours devotedly in Christ,

+ George Nkuo
Bishop of Kumbo

 

Bishop Andrew Nkea spends New Year with the Refugees

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Mamfe- South West Cameroon:

Thank you Lord!! From Bishop Andrew of Mamfe Diocese

I just returned to Mamfe after spending 31 December and new year’s day visiting a great part of the flock of the diocese of Mamfe who are refugees in various places in Nigeria. I stopped in Nashua and Emana to see them and bring some supplies for New Year. Some of their stories are pathetic and the conditions under which they live is appalling. They are scattered all over the place and sleeping on verandas and open space like people without a Homeland. It was a great joy for shepherd and flock to be united again and the happiness of our visit almost moved us to tears.

The same was true of the remnant of people in an almost deserted Akwaya town. New year day was full of dancing and rejoicing. We had prayed for peace during the Mass and we all walked into 2018 full of hope. Hope for a more peaceful and just society and hope that our displaced brothers and sisters return soonest to their homes and feel again like human beings and citizens of this country.

Shey Tatah

Bamenda: Positive outcome of Archbishop Kleda’s trip to SWR & NWR

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Positive Outcome of Bishop Kleda’s Tour:
Archbishop Kleda’s trip might be a positive one:
For him to have admit that the radio and Tv has been spreading lies, and that he found the truth himself is enough reason for him to have made that trip. It might help him when writing the next letter.
The question is? How come, of all the & dioceses, Kumbo Diocese was left out, What did the people of Kumbo do this time around:
The Intervention of Mgr Lafon patrick and Hon. Jua were timely and fearless.
Another opportunity for the regime to start a fresh dialogue.
This and more on this article. Read, share and comment
http://sheytatah.dk/bamenda-positive-outcome-of-archbishop-kledas-trip-to-swr-nwr/

A lot of ink has been spit on the on-going tour made by the National Episcopal Council of Cameroon (NECC) president  Archbishop Kleda Samuel of the Douala archdiocese. The trip was a follow up to the letter he signed on behalf of the bishops to convince catholic bishops and other institutions get schools to resume in those regions and call off the strike. The meeting ended today with the Archbishop visiting 4 Dioceses out of 5 with Kumbo being the only one left out. Reason for this is still unknown.

The first visit in Buea on the 2nd on May as reported by Fr Niba Herbert couldn’t start until the arrival of the Governor who came with heads of all services (police, brigade, gendarme, procurer general, Mayor, GCE board registrar, & 3 of the people who took the Bishops to court. “Over 25 man entourage and the Governor finally became MC of the meeting, (appointing who to talk, ordering the drafting & signing of a communique.” He said.

At the end of the meeting it was reported that ” The Bishop of Buea Mgr Bushu Immanuel  was resolute about maintaining the status quo until a frank dialogue with the state was initiated and that The Bishop went further to say he and others had done their best by keeping their schools open but that the solution could be sought in the hands of Southern Cameroons Parents”

The case of Kumba and Mamfe needless to belabored as the Archbishop met with the same results and resistance as the parents did not only get angry in Kumba , Mamfe Bishop Called for calm and challenged the Mayor to be the first to bring his kids to schools as the Catholics schools never were closed.

Meanwhile that of Bamenda was the peak of the tour as Archbishop Kleda came face to face with reality not only in words but in the field as he convinced himself that not only Catholic schools did not resume but the Government schools as well.

Although nothing was mentioned about the reactions from the Archbishop of Bamenda yet, the main headlines and echoes were those of MGR Patrick Lafon of Nso Origin. He is the former Secretary General of the Bishop’s Conference of Cameroon, Mgr. Patrick Lafon, and present Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Catholic University of Cameroon, CATUC, Bamenda, He vehemently vomited out that the Bishops should be honest and state clearly what they need which is Federation and that asking for Federation was not a Taboo in Cameroon.

Then came the powerful intervention from Hon Jua Paulinus; ” We know the problems but because of greed we don’t want to accept.The Francophones don’t love their children as much as we love ours.If there is no genuine dialogue I can assure u your Grace that you will not have any solution. You are not more Cameroonian than us. If you care you bring all the armies from Yaounde here to Bamenda we will not send our children to school.”

The PTA president of St Paul’s college Nkwen thrilled the crowd as well as an orator, as he hammered on the aspect of fear they experience. He quoted that since he completed primary school in the early 60s up till date, he has never seen a situation where military has to be deplored for people to study. He said this is another reason many children do not want to go to school, as such, all military people should return to the barracks. His speech lasted 2min 25secs but was rich in substance.

It was only at this point that Archbishop and his delegation saw the whole picture painted in their brains. It is reported that “they were shocked that as opposed to what is read over radio and shown on TV, even the government schools in NW and SW  still remain closed.Hammering that lies telling should not be part of the media”

The worries are…Shall the delegation continue to an unannounced trip to Kumbo? Have they had enough information that going to Kumbo might be of less importance? Did someone advise them not to come to Kumbo? What did they say about the Kumbo people? The mystery behind this “forgotten” diocese in the Bishop’s tour shall soon be unveiled.

It is hoped that the facts gathered by the NECC President shall open was to fresh dialogue and that the Regime shall know the truth and accept the situation while seeking a lasting solution.

Shey Tatah Sevidzem

 

Reactions to Bishops letter (Very Mixed feelings from West Cameroonians)

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The Bishops letter dated 29th April on the current Anglophone crisis has sparked mixed feelings as many believe they still do not understand the problem but playing the moral part on the crisis without understanding the situation. The Bishops are bent on promoting Decentralization and social Dialogue yet ignoring the release of those arrested and demilitarization of the regions yet calling for schools to resume. Many have read this letter and have the following to say:

The Bishops of Cameroon have spoken well, like the respected men of God that they are. They have provided a succinct diagnosis of the problem and rightly noted that it has evolved from a trade union issue to a political, administrative to constitutional issue. We all know that this escalation of the problem is due to the bad faith, excessive violence, murder, mayhem, and disdain of the government. The bishops offer a way out of the crisis that I think is reasonable: a dialogue that concerns the institutional form of the state, and reinforces the separation of powers between the executive, the judiciary, and the legislative. Biya needs to get that off the ground, They also want the state to “decide the destiny of the detainees according to appropriate judicial procedure.”

With all due respect to the men of God, I think they fail to understand the nature of the Biya regime. Biya is has only one way of communication and governance–rule by decree. In 35 years in power, he has not demonstrated a culture of dialogue or compromise. He engages only in monologues. The word dialogue does not exist in Biya’s vocabulary. How can the bishops expect Anglophone civilian political detainees who are charged with death penalty offenses to receive justice in a military tribunal? I fear that the bishops of Cameroon did not read the message the Holy Father, Pope Francis gave to President Biya when he visited the vatican last month. The Pope clearly told Biya to “respect human and minority rights” of Cameroonians! That is a clear reference to the atrocities perpetrated in the Northwest and Southwest regions. http://www.news.va/…/pope-francis-receives-president-of… The Bishops want dialogue between the parties. That is a good thing. There is just one small problem. Who is going to dialogue with the government when the Anglophone leaders are in jail? The Bishops need to tell Paul Biya one Latin phrase: habeas corpus! Release all the Anglophone political detainees. They have to remind him what the Pope told him, namely, that he has to respect human and minority rights in Cameroon. Left to itself, the Anglophone problem is slowly spinning out of control before our very eyes. The bishops of Cameroon mean well, but their message may be too little, too late to move Paul Biya. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Lyombe Eko Prof. at Texas Tech University but hails from Buea.

Aboh Anjah Martin questions if the Bishops have the legitimate write to call off the strike;

“Did this bishops organize any strike in Cameroon if no then why is it that they are those trying to call off the strike?”

Mark Bara laments on the letter stating that; “You must have read a certain Communique coming from the Bishops Episcopal conference signed by Bishop Samuel Kleda. They are calling for resumption of schools, end of ghost towns etc. In fact, the wordings of the Bishops sounded exactly like the CPDM government prepared text delivered to them in a holy masked because it failed the test woefully. In fact, we can grade it -5/20…I am by this short notice calling on Southern Cameroonians to reject the Bishops of Cameroon latest communique signed by Bishop Samuel Kleda. That Communique which fails to even call for the release of our people, it does not meet the aspirations of the Southern Cameroons people…The communique from Yaounde signed by Bishop Samuel Kleda is another form of tyranny and slavery. Enough.”

Ndzi Kibuh hammers that “Bishop kheda and his Episcopal council hate the TRUTH, the Bible says know the truth and the truth shall set you free”.

” It is worrisome that Bishops with all respect will involve themselves in such dirty political game masterminded by the Biya regime. God is supreme no matter what.” Marie Sengue

“Bishops who do not realize the arrest of innocent citizens, Bishops who do not demand for fair treatment of all are culprits in disguise…” Lestrong WCam

“This is worth nothing… See who is talking about decentralization here? We don pass that stage…. Finally the francophone bishops are simply doing something else. They need to understand what SC needs” Don Papi

” I expected u start by urging Biya to release those who can dialogue nonsense.if you want to use God’s name be honest and call a spade a spade” Gillian Lemma

“Total nonsense.see Bishops playing politics. at what time are they calling parents to send their children to school.to go study what? At what time?Has the school year not ended or they are talking of next year?they are threatened by the case against them?sorry they are out of topic” Enesto Akanga

” Rubbish!!! The bishop that value country stability and financial motivation as school subsidies need to be recalled by God because he has missed the line of his calling already. No single francophone support the freedom of anglophones even their clergy!!! If you are my church leader, you must act in line with Christian norms or we disown you. That we have already done for any one who still wish to enter into covenant with injustice!!!” Grace Siefrank

“Its a pity for Cameroon. Bishops are too carried away from the path of the people. What humanity do they want to protect with that crap. Shame to those Bishops”  Illoh Ikenge

” Since the crises sparked off 6 months ago, I have been to Church on many occasions and have listen to Mass Intention with captions like:
– For Peace to reign in our beloved country Cameroon
– Asking God to grant peace in Cameroon etc….
Bidding prayers or Prayers of the faithful have also taken same suit and coining. I have NOT heard any Prayer in church supplicating for retributive and equitable Justice. Does this pretext challenges Pope Pius X’s (he himself a Conservative Roman Catholic) assertion that “where there injustice there is no hope of peace because peace is the work of justice”? Cameroon’s painful troubles are embedded in the number of gross unjust and hidden agendas inflicted on Southern Cameroonians for 55 years. Let us do Justice then peace will reign!” Tangka Eric

Mbilam Samson Jumbam thinks that the letter does not reflect that written by the Bishops of Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province reiterating that; “The current Letter proves nothing but complacency of Francophone Bishops. How long have they taken to react to the Anglophone crises? The message is teleguided. After all, petrol bonds will flow”

Shey Tatah Sevidzem

Did the court of First instance summon only the Bishops of Bamenda?

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The allegations that three out of the 4 mainstream churches in the Anglophone region of Bamenda  summoned to court (Catholics, Presbyterians & Baptists) have been declared as mere rumors by the Presbyterian authorities as they argued that such a summon had not reached the moderator yet. “The Communication Secretary of the PCC, Rev Mokoko Mbue Thomas said it was only a rumor and told reporters that to the best of his knowledge the PCC Moderator has not been summoned except the said summon is still to reach them.” CIN

Nothing has been heard from the Baptist authorities but the Bishops of the catholic church have made the summon public, and it is even all alleged that the Archbishop announced in church Friday 14th during Friday service that he and his collaborators have been summoned before the court of first instance in Bamenda because of some “silly” allegations on the 21st of april 2017 and that Christians were welcome to accompany them who are also part of the accusations.

Bishops from Nso

Archbishop of Bamenda

 

Bishop of Kumbo

Here are the scanned copies of the Summon of the Roman Catholic Bishops in the Ecclesiastical Region of Bamenda . Some major points/accusations worth noting; the complaint accuses the church of not paying teachers hence affecting or depriving the state of enjoying taxes, want to win the sympathy of teachers and parents for collecting money and not paying teachers and most interestingly for me demands the church to pay 150 billion francs cfa for the damages while jailing the church leaders.

If the Catholics have to pay the price, what of other church authorities? CIN reports that “The PCC has 22 Secondary schools, 233 Primary and Nursery schools with 640 and 980 teachers respectively. All these schools have remained closed since the strike action began.” Does this mean that they have been paying their taxes and teachers and therefore should not appear before the court?

The Muslims have a good number of schools and teachers as well, but they have not been accused meanwhile schools have also been interrupted likewise the Baptist institutions. Shall the government look into their cases later after dealing with the Catholics? Could the Catholics alone have stopped the strike if they asked their schools to resume?

It should be noted that during the PM’s visit, the Catholics and other authorities promised to keep their premises open and that it was left on the parents to decide when to send their kids to schools, but the parents had opted for security of their kids than education.

After reading the summons and the counts, Gwaranko Mdzeka had this comment to make; “The government of this nation,just like any with of its ‘type’,is a specialist in diversion.the government must know like us all,that her failure to give subventions to private / confessional sectors of our educational system,has contributed also to the non payment of these teachers.has the government,now throwing the first stone paid the contract teachers she employs ? Has any one dragged them to court ? These are the last tricks of a ‘dying dog'”

The Church leaders have opted to write to the faithfuls and also asked them to accompany them to court.

Why should the church and religious leaders be used as “escape goats” for the failed school resumption? Who did not do his homework well. With the religious leaders called up to court, might change then events of things and this can again be another ploy to buy time for the struggle and carry out more arrests disrespecting the orders of the UN that has called for release and dialogue.

Shey Tatah Sevidzem.