Pope in Bamenda: ‘Woe to those who manipulate religion for military or political gain’

Speaking at a meeting dedicated to peace, Pope Leo warns against the 'masters of war' who pretend not to acknowledge that 'it only takes a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild' and who spend billions on weapons but dedicate nothing to helping people heal.

Pope Leo arrived in Bamenda and presided over a Peace Meeting in the Cathedral of St. Joseph (@Vatican Media)

In the midst of a pause in the ongoing violence in Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV travelled to Bamenda - an English-speaking city located in the northwestern part of the country - on his second day in Cameroon.

After meeting with local authorities at the airport, the Pope moved to the Cathedral of St. Joseph, which serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. There, he met with the Community of Bamenda for a Meeting of Peace. Starting with a few moments of prayer in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Father and Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda entered the Cathedral.

Welcomed by a hymn and a greeting by the Archbishop, the peace meeting then heard the testimonies of the Supreme Traditional Chief of Mankon, Fon Fru Asaah Angwafor IV; the Emeritus Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Fonki Samuel Forba; the Imam of the Central Mosque of Buea, Mohammad Abubakar; a consecrated religious, Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu, Sister of St. Anne; and a family of internally displaced persons, Denis Salo, his wife, and their three children.

Here to proclaim peace

After hearing the testimonies, Pope Leo joined his voice to theirs and highlgihted how their “lived experience of suffering” in community has strengthened their belief in God’s constant presence.

The Pope began by reflecting on Archbishop Fuanya’s words from the Prophet Isaiah: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace!” (Is 52:7). His response centered on the beauty of the Bamendan community’s feet “dusty from this bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated, yet is rich in vegetation and fruit.”

Their feet have carried them far in spite of the challenges they have faced, and this community has “remained on the path of goodness.” Pope Leo expressed his gratitude for being welcomed to the city. “Because,” he stressed, “it is true: I am here to proclaim peace.” But, the Holy Father noted, the people of Bamenda have been proclaiming the message of peace to him.

You are the city on a hill

Turning back to one of the testimonies, he highlighted how the crisis affecting Cameroon (an ongoing armed conflict between Separatists and the government) has brought the Christian and Muslim communities closer together. “Indeed, your religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides,” he pointed out.

Pope Leo shared his hope and desire that this could be possible in other places around the world. At the same time, he warned against people who “manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

The Holy Father stressed that the people of Bamenda, in spite of this almost decade long conflict, are the light of the world as they hunger and thirst for justice. “Bamenda, today you are the city on the hill, resplendent in the eyes of all,” the Pope said, encouraging them not to lose hope.

Only takes one moment to destroy

Addressing those, especially lay and religious women, who care for individuals traumatized by violence, he offered a word of gratitude for their work, which often goes unnoticed and is also dangerous.

The “masters of war” pretend not to acknowledge that “it only takes a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild.” The Pope lamented how those in power turn a blind eye to the billions of dollars spent on killing and devastation, “yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”

People who take the resources from the African lands in turn use the money for weapons, “perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.” Pope Leo argued how this is an upside-down world and he urged everyone to denounce and reject this exploitation of God’s creation.

The Holy Father called for “a decisive change of course – a true conversion – that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity.” The world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.”

Peace is not something to be invented. Rather, he stressed, it is something we discover when we embrace our neighbor as our brother or sister. Family is not something we choose, but people we must accept as we live together in the same common home.

Closing he recalled the words of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium: “My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life…that is the reason why I am here in this world” (no. 273). It is with this same heart and mission that Pope Leo explained he came to Bamenda.

Therefore, the Holy Father called each of us to be part of the silent revolution of walking together in our own vocations growing in concrete ways the mission of loving our neighbors. “As the Imam said, let us thank God that this crisis has not degenerated into a religious war, and that we are still trying to love one another.”

Kielce Gussie
Source: vaticannews.va/en