Part three of the following reactions were gotten from anonymous writers on social media after the circular was published which might be significant to peruse in order to best understand the contribution ad comments of some of our Christians on the canonical matter:
- Do you believe people are commenting on the suspension or the message behind this suspension? Bishops should have in mind that there are Shepherds (Fathers) and not Discipline masters. Even in the application of the law there is need of Pedagogy and discernment. You rightly quoted the Archdiocese of Douala which has some priests leaving abroad today for more than a decade, the Archbishop asked them to come back several times but to no avail, As I talk to you now He has engaged in discussions with some so as to arrange their administrative situation. I will take a clear case of 100% of blessed memory who was called to assume duty as Parochial vicar in Douala but was abroad, he refused to come back for close to 2 years before his transition but as a Pedagogue, as a Father, Mgr. Kleda didn’t use the power he has as the Local ordinary!! There are a lot of examples I can call up even in this same diocese of Buea. Also, we should be careful on how we treat Fidei donum or Students when they come back from abroad, it can discourage others. To end, I want to exhort our Bishops to avoid taking decisions of this nature without consulting the Council of Deans or the Presbytery Council it is very important.
- George Nchumbonga Lekelefac, thank you for this educative piece of writing. I read it closely and your deep knowledge on canonical issues brought light to a number of comments people suggested. Mostly out of ignorant. Thank you again. From another angle, if these priests are still serving in a diocese in USA, what did the Bishop in Buea and that of the diocese where these priests were sent discuss? The Accord of cooperation between dioceses is done between bishops and not with priests, since there are no acephalous priests in the Roman Catholic Church. I think if the Bishop in the diocese of Charlotte ask the fidei Donum priests to regain their diocese of incardination, can they refuse and remain in the diocese?
151.The Bishop is right in his action. He will indeed spare other young priests of same Diocese from consular issues. These are clearly very selfish and Bad priests. Why only Buea Diocese? In fact, the Bishop has blocked all the holes of fraud so they thing it will be less profitable for them to come back since they are business men and not actually priests in calling. Shame on them for not obeying their Bishop.
- Look beyond the picture. One is appointed Parish Priest of a Big Parish, the other is appointed Principal of a College of caliber. Do you believe it is a problem of position? I don’t think so!!
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153.What is it then??? It is a problem of greed and lack of calling. These men are disgrace to the church. Let any seminarian not invite me to his ordination if he plans to do this in future. The click in Buea has been dismantled and discontinued. We are in a new era.
- Bishop Bibi is unfair it seems to me. Why did he produce a circular to the public regarding these two priests who didn’t resume assignments in their diocese of incardination at his request but didn’t produce one regarding Fr Nkeze in the same circumstance? My take is to treat all priests fairly. Send a private note to all disobedient priests about faculty suspension or make all faculty suspension notices public. Don’t pick and choose which priests is worthy of a public or private notice. A little unfair I think.
- Mr Nchumbonga George Lekelefac, what of priests like Fr. Basil Sede, who was appointed at CUIB after his doctorate in Rome which was sponsored by the Diocese of Buea but has not returned to Buea to serve as a priest? He has been instead serving in the Diocese of Charlotte since 2013 as I hear, about 10 years now. Why was he not asked to return too by Bishop Bibi? Is it that he is giving more dollars to Bishop Bibi than the other two who were suspended? What is Fr Basil Sede still doing in the USA after 10 years in the Diocese of Charlotte? Is he a super priest with more privileges than the others or is he a first-class priest? Bishop Bibi should stop this nonsense of favoritism. He is a father and bishop and therefore should not discriminate among the priests. If he really wants all of them back, then, he should transfer all of them back without discrimination including Fr Basil Sede who has been there for 10 years.
- George, Fr. Nkeze disobeyed Bishop Bibi by not accepting his appointment as parochial vicar at Regina Pacis Cathedral, Small Soppo. Why did Bishop Bibi not suspend him too? Is Bishop Bibi afraid of Fr Nkeze? There should be no preference of any sort if Bishop Bibi wants to be straightforward without discrimination and favoritism. I think that all priests of Buea Diocese should be treated equally.
End!
Nchumbonga George Lekelefac, B. Phil., (Mexico); S.T.B., (Rome); J.C.L/M.C.L., (Ottawa), Diploma in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch; International Language Tutor of English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German; Doctorandus, University of Münster, Germany; Europe/ US Chief Correspondent of “The Sun Newspaper” and the “Herald Tribune”; Catholic Media Influencer and Whistle blower; Canon Lawyer and Researcher; Veteran Contributor on Social Media on Theological and Canonical enlightenment and arguments; Founder/ CEO of the “Nchumbonga Lekelefac Institute of Research, Documentation, Language and Culture, USA.”
Email: nchumbong@yahoo.com
The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect The SUN’s editorial stance.
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