Skip to main content

CHRISTIANS UPHOLD FAITH, DEFY THREATS AT PALLIUM INVESTITURE 

By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum

In defiance of a ghost town programmed by Ambazonians, thousands of Catholic Christians turned out January 31, 2021 to witness the bestowal of the pallium on Andrew Nkea, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bamenda. 

A Christian assigned to sell hymn booklets printed for the day’s occasion spoke of two thousand five hundred copies sold out that ran in short supply.

Radio Evangelium Bamenda reported that one hundred and thirty eight priests and eight bishops filled the alter.

The turnout at the pontifical High Mass at the St Joseph Centenary Piazza for the pallium investiture was saluted as an act of faith given the multitude.

In his opening statement at the beginning of Mass, Andrew Nkea hailed the faith of Christians in the presence of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of States of the Vatican sent by Pope Francis to hand the pallium “We the people of Bamenda lack many things but one thing we don't lack is faith. The presence here of of the people of Bamenda in such great numbers  is a sure sign that their faith is greater than politics, the faith of the  people of the Archdiocese of Bamenda is greater than intimidation and their presence here is a proof that the devil is a liar." 

Catholics who turned out for the pallium told Cameroon Infotrend that their presence at the Holy Mass was an act of faith. 

“On my part, I brave all odds to attend the pallium investiture first of all because I wanted to receive the blessings from the Holy Father through the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican city and secondly because I wanted to get the experience of the event and thirdly as a response to the invitation of our chief shepherd to come to the cathedral. All of these was because of my faith which cannot be compromised by any situation or threats.” Niba Fracis, seminarian of the Archdiocese of Bamenda noted.

“A Pallium is an Ecclesiastical Vestment presented by the Holy See upon a metropolitan Archbishop as a symbol of authority over a particular area of jurisdiction. This is always presented in Rome and this was first of its kind for me as a Catholic Christian to witness the handing of Pallium to an Archbishop, reason I had to defile all threats to be part of the history making event in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda” Said a Christian who chose to stay anonymous.

Chris Anu acting as Communication Secretary of the Ambazonian Interim Government sent a message Thursday January 28, asking Catholics to stay at home where he gave reasons that “They may deliver a message that doesn’t reflect the message we see on the ground . When we have an important guest like the cardinal visiting from the Vatican, we do not want anyone else to tell our own story for us. We want to tell our story by ourselves.  Stay home and pray at home this week and choose lockdown over this Vatican visit” he said in an audio while criticizing the national Episcopal conference for being indifferent and not condemning the killing of Ambazonians.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s visit to Bamenda to hand the pallium to His Grace Andrew N. generated polemics with critics on one hand saying that his was a political mission to meet elements of the Biya regime. Some political minds raised fear that Pope Francis’ envoy would be ill informed on the socio political crisis affecting Bamenda, a city in Cameroon’s Northwest Region rendered restive by the struggle to carve out a separate state from the existing t unitary system of government.

Comments

Post a Comment

Editor's Picks

UBa opens doors for a Hate free Institution   By Mbuh Stella Hate Speech is a potential source of conflict, contributing to thousands of lives lost around the globe, experts have warned. In Cameroon, Hate speech is practiced both online and offline. The phenomenon is a call for concern. It is against this back drop that Defyhatenow  a Non Governmental Organization is working towards raising awareness and combating Hate speech. Recently, a team from the organization led by Laure Nganlay Nadege, Communication Associate at Defyhatenow visited the University of Bamenda, UBa to initiate a program which will in the days ahead engage students  in the fight against Hate speech and other forms of information manipulation. During the discussion, delegation member, Derick Kinnang, who is also Research and Administrative Officer at Defyhatenow said 'hate speech is a can of worms that should not be allowed to take roots in the communities" Defyhatenow Delegation presented their missio...
1 comment
Read more
  "I was in prison and you visited me" MENCHUM LEGENDS SHARE WITH  PRISONERS Photo: Gifts to inmates Menchum Legends, a common initiative group, demonstrated solidarity to inmates at the Yaounde Central Prison on Wednesday December 21, 2022. It was in part, a gesture to celebrate Christmas with inmates and to fulfill the words of Christ "I was in prison and you visited me" Over five thousand persons are jailed at the Yaounde Central Prison with twenty six of them from Menchum origin. Photo: Members of Menchum Lengends Members of Menchum Legends showed a solidarity gesture to the twenty six of their Division with gifts of soap, detergent, seasoning cubes, rice, salt, toilet paper, cassava flour, spaghetti and salt. In an interview granted to Cameroon Infotrend, Ngwoh Ewdine Nkum, president of Menchum Legends revealed the purpose of the visit. "We have been touched by the situation of our fellow youths of Menchum Division who are in prison. Although our Common in...
Post a Comment
Read more
A pontifical Holy Mass would be celebrated on Thursday 30th January at the St Joseph's Metropolitan Cathedral Mankon to officially open the process of beatification for late Archbishop Emeritus Paul Verdzekov. The Mass would be presided by the Apostolic Administrator of Bamenda Cornelius Fontem Esua. In line with the upcoming event, our reporter Mildred Ndum Wung Kum in the following paper analyses the relevance. The entire Archdiocese of Bamenda and beyond is with all eyes fixed on the official opening of the process of beatification of the late Paul Verdzekov, pioneer Bishop and Archbishop of Bamenda. It shall be a landmark event in the spiritual  calendar of the Archdiocese given that many shall behold what it means by the process of beatification  for the very first time. As Archbishop emeritus Cornelius Fontem Esua mounts the podium to officially announce that Paul Verdzekov is en route to sainthood , the contemporary Christian must be conscious of the significance. ...
Post a Comment
Read more