By SAH TERENCE ANIMBOM
The occasion for the Canonical Possession of the Metropolitan see of Bamenda last Saturday, February 22, 2020 at the St. Peter’s Piazza of the St. Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral Big Mankon Bamenda, by His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Andrew Fuanya Nkea, new Metropolitan archbishop of Bamenda, became the proper venue to sound a hard message to the state of Cameroon by the officiating bishops at the solemn ceremony, as there was the presence of the personal representative of the head of state of the republic of Cameroon, in the person of Paul Atanga Nji, Minister of Territorial Administration and a host of other Ministers like Minister Felix Mbayu of External relations, Minister Mengot Victor of the Presidency and Minister Paul Tasong, as well as a host of other high placed government officials. In attendance was also the British High Commissioner to Cameroon as well as the North West Governor and Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam.
The Homily
In his homily, His Grace Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo diocese spoke very clearly on the position of the church in the face of such turbulence as the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.
“It is a challenging time brothers and sisters to be archbishop of Bamenda or a bishop in this ecclesiastical province. We live in a time of deep uncertainty and insecurity as the traditional religious and social foundations we held in high respect have been seriously shaken or destroyed and taken for granted especially in the context of the current socio political crisis. There are many challenges facing us in these days. Today we are reminded that it is the vocation of the church to bring a living message of hope to the people at all times but more especially at these critical moments like the one we are going through. The church is the only place where believers speak and listen to each other and it is a community of faith that speaks with and listens to the world. The church senses a responsibility for the world not simply as yet another institutional presence or a benevolent NGO but as a movement of light, and of salt for the world’s transformation. In this way it must continue to exercise its prophetic mission. …We are a church that will never remain silent when human life is threatened, we cannot remain mute when gun violence continues to cast its deadly self over our villages and towns. How can the church keep silent in the face of such tragic and deadly massacres like the one of innocent children, pregnant women and harmless civilians especially in the recent one at Ngar-buh in the diocese of Kumbo? How can we in the face of such compelling testimonies and evidence be made to believe that such senseless killings are a lie? Jesus tells us in Luke chapter 19 verse 14: I tell you if you keep silent the stones will cry out. We cannot look the other way when our people are molested, intimidated, killed, rendered homeless, kidnapped and ransoms requested…”
The bishop ended his homily by reassuring all and sundry “The church will always be a friend and advocate to the vulnerable and the marginalised and a preferential option for the poor. The church will be there for you. We will never forget you.”
Enters Apostolic Nuncio
The Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea H.E Julio Murat in his address to the faithful evoked the Anglophone crisis and called for dialogue and a cessation of violence in the following words. “Dear archbishop Andrew, today a new phase begins in your life, the archdiocese of Bamenda begins a new phase in your care. The moment we are experiencing is not one of the easiest. Recent years have witnessed so much suffering, so much sadness, so much uncertainty, many families have lost their loved ones, others have been forced to abandon their homes and villages. Dear brothers and sisters of Bamenda, in such difficult times, I pray the Lord to stand by you and walk with you. My cry to the Lord joins that of St. Francis of Assisi, ‘Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love, where there is injury, pardon, where there is despair, hope, where there is sadness, joy.’ This is the prayer that every disciple should raise to the Lord. Let us together raise this prayer for our country so that it may find peace and serenity. Let us also ask God for the gift of mutual forgiveness so that we can cooperate to together to build that peaceful and prosperous future without wasting any time since every moment that passes is very important. We are all children of God, created in the image of God our father and we must live as brothers and sisters and take care of one another. As John Paul II said, nothing is lost with peace; all may be lost with war. Everything can be solved through dialogue and for this dialogue to continue, it is necessary that violence stops.”
His Grace Andrew Fuanya Nkea speaks
Thanking the Holy Father, the archbishop Emeritus, His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua and assuring him that his rest and comfort will be highly guaranteed especially due to his many years of experience in taking care of bishops emeritus, His Grace Andrew Fuanya Nkea fueled the love of the mammoth crowd that turned out for the ceremony with the following words “. … Bamenda archdiocese here I come, I come to you as a Shephard not as a politician, I come to you as a priest not as a businessman, I come to you as a father not as a policeman, I come to you as a messenger of peace not as a war monger, I come to you as a crusader of justice not as a supporter of unjust systems and misphilosophies, I come to you in spirit and in truth not in flesh and in lies. Just as I said when I was made bishop of Mamfe, I now say to you- My first duty is to preach the gospel. My second duty is to preach the gospel and my third duty is to preach the gospel.”
Friends, others shower new archbishop with gifts
Traditional rulers of the North West welcomed the bishop while presenting to him a traditional stool. It was the same action from the South West chiefs who wished their son well. The most euphoric moment of the event was the handing over of a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser V8 VXR jeep to the new archbishop by a group of persons known as friends of Bishop Nkea who were represented there by Minister Paul Tasong, Minister Felix Mbayu, Minister Victor Mengot, and Honorable Emilia Lifaka. Minister Paul Tasong said it was their way of accompanying the bishop in his pastoral duty by facilitating his movement in a befitting ride; the best in the market.