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

MEJU HONOURS ELITES, RESOLVES ON RELAUNCH OF MENCHUM VOICE NEWSPAPER. By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum   Menchum Journalist Union MEJU, which is a union, grouping together journalists of Menchum descent has embarked on a journey to bring back Menchum Voice Newspaper. The Union has also paid tributes to elites of Menchum Division. This was the main activity that featured during it's 2022 general convention under the leadership of it's president Victor Bama Cham. MEJU handed notes of recognition to the elites for strides made in development in varried fields. Those recognized include Senator Buh Sule Tegha, Mih Bibiana Mbei Dinghambong, Fon Ndecham Chefon II, Professor Kelly Mua Kingsly, Prince Divine Kwansuh and Late Fon Kum-A-Chuo II Kawzu Albert.  Professor Kelly Mua Kingsly was honoured as "Most forensic expert of financial forensics" Mih Bibiana Mbei Dinghambong was honoured as "most committed, consistent iconic woman peace crusader" Prince Divine Kwansuh was hon...
Post a Comment
Read more
WOMEN PEACEBUILDERS VOW TO INTENSIFY MEDIATION  By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum About twenty women ha ve taken a commitment to intensify peacebuilding and mediation. They are inspired by a seminar which empowered them with knowledge on peacebuilding, mediation, conflict analysis and effective communication in times of conflict. The seminar was organised by Mother of Hope Cameroon-MOHCAM with funding from Women Mediators across the Common Wealth.  The over twenty women who attended the seminar are civil soceity leaders under the banner Women Peace Builders Network - WOPEN. The women are worried by the Cameroon Anglophone crisis affecting the Northwest and Southwest Regions of the country where parties on the opposing side are yet to settle on peace talks. This has led to rampant increase in human killing, kidnap, rape, shut schools, extortion, ghost towns, lock downs and a generally epileptic economy and "women have borne the brunt of the crisis" says Madam Gladyse Foncham, Secre...
Post a Comment
Read more
Expanding access to adolescent and youth Friendly Sexual and Reproductive health Services in the Northwest Region of Cameroon: RuWCED-Cameroon Equips Health Care Providers to create Adolescent/Youth Wards Adolescents/youths in Ngoketunjia Division, Northwest Region of Cameroon now have access to trained health care professionals and fully equipped youth friendly wards called Adolescent Care and Counseling Centers (ACCC). The centers are in five pilot health centers in the Division to carter for the Sexual and Reproductive Health service needs, set up by RuWCED. Photo: cross  section of an adolescent/youth ward set up by RuWCED Cameroon The Rural Women Center for Education and Development (RuWCED) has in a three-day workshop, trained health workers on youth and adolescent friendly approaches to delivering Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services. The training from 6th to 8th December 2022 took place in Ndop, capital of Ngoketunjia Division, Northwest Region, Cameroon during whi...
Post a Comment
Read more