By Nchumbonga George Lekelefac
On October 22, 2022, nine Catholic Christians, including priests, a reverend sister who were kidnapped by gunmen in Mamfe, Manyu, in the restive South West Region of Cameroon were released. Their release came more than one month after they were kidnapped by Ambazonian separatist fighters. March 22, 2023 marked exactly five months after they were released. What went wrong?
On 23rd September 2022, Mr. Orock Takang, President Boh Nchang Global, (resident in the UK) wrote a letter to Bishop Aloysius ABANGALO FONDONG, bishop of the Diocese of Mamfe which he also sent to Archbishop Nkea and Boh Nchang Global. In that letter, Mr. Orock Takang noted that he was writing the letter as the President of Boh Nchang Global which has over 200 Nchang sons and daughters’ resident at home and abroad.
On behalf of the Association, he registeredwith shock at the video of their beloved St. Mary’s Catholic Church which was in flames that week and the kidnap of the clergy that were seized from Nchang comprising of 5 priests, 1 nun and 3 lay faithful. He noted in the letter that members of the Association prayed for their safe return of those kidnapped and frankly noted with profoundest disappointment on Bishop Abangalo’s response which was captured in a separate video stating the following in his own words: “1) ‘This is an abomination that has happened to your land’; 2) ‘the church shall never come back to this Nchang again’; 3) ‘you burn down the church with Jesus inside, you are telling God, we don’t want You in our land’; and 4) ‘The boys who burnt down this church are Catholic Christians, they are boys from here.”
Furthermore, he stated lucidly: “We agree, it is an abomination that the church was burnt because it is the one place that provided respite and the clergy provided support for Nchang people and children who need someone to talk to, considering the situation on the ground in Nchang. It was a place where residents could go and spend at least an hour on Sundays and forget their troubles, forget what has become of their children, forget what has become of Nchang, once a thriving and lively place where everyone was happy to live side-by-side with their neighbour. You said the church shall never come back to Nchang.
Your Lordship, St. Mary’s church was built from the sweat of our fore-fathers and children of Nchang who toiled, ferrying sand and materials in buckets to construct the church. We will rebuild the church and the parishioners from Nchang and its surrounding villages will return to worship in it again.
On your third point, it is inconceivable that we don’t want God on our land, considering the years and sacrifice made to erect the church. The church has been on this land for decades and has never been any reason to suggest that we did not want it. Your last point was the most damning and disrespectful to the Christians and people of Nchang. To insist that the deplorable crime committed against our church was the work of ‘Catholic Christians’ in Nchang is what we find hard to fathom.Your Lordship, no one is infallible in speaking out of turn when angry and we don’t expect you to be any different.”
Having said that, he concluded: “The least we expect from you is to retract this statement, as it has caused a lot of hurt to our people. Since your outburst, we have waited almost a week for you to think about the accusation and make it right by issuing a follow up statement but it has not been forthcoming. If there is proof that you possess to justify the accusations then please make it known to the public and if not then as a man of God, you know the right thing to do. I can guarantee you, if we knew the culprits, Nchang will bring them to justice. As a Bishop to the captives, you did not say a word about asking for their safe release and return. Regarding the church, we will rebuild it but for those in captivity, the trauma will be felt for a long time. We ask you to join us in praying for their safe release. Sincerely…”
As I write, Bishop Abangalo has not publicly responded to that letter and has not publicly demanded an apology for the unfounded accusations he lavished on the Nchang villagers. As I watched the video of Bishop Abangalo’s outburst at Nchang, I was wondering aloud why Bishop Abangalo would talk to villagers as he did, instead of consoling them. The bishop is a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World. (Cf. Pastor esgregis, no. 1).
As if that was not enough, there was a lady there insisting and telling the Bishop that the kidnappers were not from Nchang, but the bishop unthinkingly and unwisely refused to listen, insisting that the boys were from Nchang. Why did Bishop Abangalo make such accusations without facts?
Bishop Abangalo: The Church WILL NEVER come back to Nchang again
Bishop Abangalo stated: “The Church WILL NEVER come back to Nchang again. It will take a miracle to bring Jesus back to this land. I have taken it, and he will not come again. It will take a miracle to bring Jesus. My mission is to bring Jesus, not to remove Jesus. It took hears for Jesus to come here and it will take years for Jesus to come back.”
To my mind, thiswas terrible statement because “never say never”is a proverb which warns us that no one should say that something is impossible, that it will never happen, or that you will never do it, because anything is possible and also because you are not God. This adage was justified on February 16, 2023, when “One Family Diocese of Mamfe” posted on its facebook page that “St. Mary’s Parish Nchang retraced steps towards full operation and steps had been underway to pick up the pieces and begin Catholic activities all over again in St. Mary Parish Nchang, the same church where Bishop Abangalo said the church will never come back.
All the said groundworks came to fruition as the Christians of the parish gathered on Sunday, 12th February, 2023 for the first mass after 5 months since the ill-fated arson attack, desecration of the Parish Church and the abduction of 5 priests, a Religious Woman, 2 ladies and a gentleman (catechist).” As you could see, the church came back to Nchang.
Pastor esgregis reminds bishops that “It is in fact the task of every Bishop to proclaim hope to the world, hope based on the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: a hope ‘’which not only concerns penultimate matters but also and above all that eschatological hope which awaits the riches of the glory of God (cf. Eph 1:18), which surpasses anything that the human heart has ever conceived (cf. 1 Cor 2:9), and to which the sufferings of the present cannot be compared (cf. Rom 8:18)’. A stance of theological hope, together with faith and love, must completely shape the Bishop’s pastoral ministry.The Bishop is called in a particular way to be a prophet, witness and servant of hope. He has the duty of instilling confidence and proclaiming before all people the basis of Christian hope (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) …” (Pastoresgregis, no 3.) Bishop Abangalo failed to proclaim hope to the Nchang villagers.
In addition, a lady asked Bishop Abangalo after he had accused the people of Nchang: “My Lord, can I ask a question,” but she was ignored by Bishop Abangalo. She further added: “My Lord, they are not people from here,” but Bishop Abangalo did not care to listen to the lady. Pastors of souls are called to be civilized and to listen to their flock: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.” (1 Peter 5:2). Bishop Abangalo did not listen to lady who had something important to say with regards to the kidnap.
Bishop Abangalo: Jesus will not come again to Nchang
Bishop Abangalo stated: “It will take a miracle to bring Jesus back to this land. I have taken it, and he will not come again. It will take a miracle to bring Jesus. My mission is to bring Jesus, not to remove Jesus. It took hears for Jesus to come here and it will take years for Jesus to come back.” The Bishop is a successor of the apostles and a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World as was stated in the post-synod apostolic exhortation released on October 16, 2003 by Pope John Paul II titled Pastoresgregis.
The bishop is not a proprietor of Jesus Christ, for he does not own Jesus Christ. He is simply a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a minister of the sacraments and also a sinner who seeks God’s mercy and forgiveness. That is why it was terribly bad for Bishop Abangalo to tell the villagers of Nchang who were saddened by the kidnap and the burnt church for him to arrive and warn them that he had taken away the Eucharist and that Jesus in the Eucharist will not come again to Nchang.
Jesus is present with us in Many Ways
Jesus is present to us in many ways, in his Word, in the poor, when two or more are gathered in prayer (Matthew 18:20), and in the Sacraments. But only in the Holy Eucharist is He uniquely present — Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. This is what we mean by the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. (Cf. Bishop Michael Evans, Is Jesus Really Present in the Eucharist? 2004). Therefore, it would be important for Bishop Abangalo to know that Jesus is not only present in the Eucharist but is also present in so many different ways.
In addition, Jesus is God and we know that He is omnipresence or ubiquity, that is, the property of being present anywhere and everywhere. The term omnipresence is most often used in a religious context as an attribute of a supreme being, while the term ubiquity is generally used to describe something existing or being everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread, common. Therefore, it is not only in the Eucharist that we encounter Christ or that Christ is present. Christ is present everywhere and not only in the Eucharist and Bishop Abangalo cannot give the impression that he is the proprietor of Jesus and can take it away from the people when he wishes.
No, Jesus was present with the people of Nchang with or without the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a Christian sacrament that involves consecrating and consuming bread and wine in memory of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, who referred to them as his body and blood, it is also called Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, and it means “thanksgiving” in Greek and it is the source and summit of the Christian life. (Cf. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, encyclical by Pope John Paul II published on April 17, 2003). However, Jesus is present everywhere even when the Eucharist is not there. Thus, it was totally wrong for Bishop Abangalo to give the impression that he was the proprietor of Jesus as if Jesus were not present in other ways among his people.
Conclusion
It would be significant for Bishop Abangalo to publicly apologize to the people of Nchang for his slip of the tongue and the mistakes he made by his unfounded statements which were recorded and are still on social media. This behavior by Bishop Abangalo to ignore people talking to him could be portrayed as an abuse of ecclesiastical power and office.
That is why I would kindly suggest that his apology be made in writing and publicly to the people of Nchang so that history may bear witness that Bishop Abangalo is a humble man, for there is strength in being humble.We know that bishops are human beings and therefore can err. However, I believe that the people of Nchang have not forgotten those unfounded accusations by Bishop Abangalo and only a public letter of apology will truly reconcile Bishop Abangalo with the people of Nchang and will truly portray a bishop who is humble, ready and willing to make amends by reconciling himself with the people of Nchang.