John Paul II : A True Friend Of Cameroon

Pope Paul VI’s 1969 visit to Uganda was a history-making event as it was the first time the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church set foot on African soil. A few years after the beginning of his pontificate in 1978, Africa became a regular destination for Pope John Paul II.

On Saturday, August 10, 1985 at exactly 6 pm, John Paul II set foot on Cameroonian soil as he arrived in Yaounde for a pastoral visit which took him to Douala, Bamenda and Garoua. The next day Sunday, he said a mass at the May 20 Avenue before a crowd of some 300.000 people. At that mass, he was flanked by the then Archbishop of Yaounde, the late Jean Zoa, the Bishop of Sangmelima, Jean Baptiste Ama, Mgr Paul Etoga of Mbalmayo and Mgr Lambert Van Heygen of Bertoua incidentally also of blessed memory. At that mass, the Pope ordained 17 deacons into the priesthood. Cameroonians of a certain age can still remember the resounding words of a one-hour homily he preached that day:

“Do not allow yourselves to be monopolised by profane activities when there is so much to be done for the Kingdom of God for which you have given your life,” he told the young priests. The Pope’s visit to the other three ecclesiastical provinces of the country (Bamenda, Douala and Garoua) were clear signs that the Pontiff was really concerned about the welfare of the Catholic church in Cameroon.

In this wise, his particular solicitude to the church in Cameroon must be highlighted. It is during his pontificate that a Cameroonian Bishop was appointed cardinal in the person of the then Archbishop of Garoua Mgr. Christian Tumi. It was also during his pontificate that the Catholic Church in Cameroon was organised into ecclesiastical provinces to ease administration and evangelisation as well as taking the socio-cultural consideration of dioceses or groups of dioceses into consideration. He is also known to have appointed the highest number of Bishops in Cameroon by a single Pope.

The Catholic University of Central Africa located in Yaounde also had the blessing of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II also selected Cameroon in 1995 as the point from which he launched the Apostolic exhortation: Ecclesia in Africa sequel to the holding of the special synod of African Bishops. The post-synodal exhortation is a framework document which brings out the main conclusions of the special synod.

To show their love for this remarkable man of God, several Cameroonian places and institutions today carry his name. In Yaounde, there is the John Paul II Avenue, and the John Paul II auditoriums. The Diocese of Buea has named its theological institute after him while several colleges in the country are named after John Paul II, a clear indication of how he is much endeared to millions of Cameroonians, stretching beyond the religious divide.

Nkendem FORBINAKE