The presidential couple was among the record crowd that watched the beatification of Pope John Paul II in Rome last Sunday.

Newspapers had predicted that the beatification event of Pope John Paul II was going to be a record-breaking crowd puller. And indeed, it was. Crowd experts say the turnout at Sunday’s event at St Peter’s Square in Rome was hardly less than the one organized for his burial from the same square on April 8, 2005. Six years into death, one of the most popular popes of modern times was still receiving the same encomiums as if he was alive. This great Pontiff was a citizen of the world; but for many Cameroonians, he was a very special pope. Not only was he the first Pope to set foot on Cameroonian soil, he sent Cameroonians going wild with joy when he made a second visit by a reigning pope. The death of John Paul II sent many Cameroonians well across the religious divide, mourning inconsolably. The announcement of his beatification came to turn consolation into joy, as many believe they have one of theirs on the road to sainthood; with the assumption, in Catholic belief, that he is in heaven and can, therefore intervene for Cameroonians with the Almighty.

The two papal visits to Cameroon occurred incidentally with President Paul Biya in power. Even beyond diplomatic considerations, the Presidential family had every reason to consider the Pope as one of their close ones. In fact on the two visits, the Holy Father made it a point of duty to commune with the presidential family. On the second visit in 1995, he personally administered the sacrament of baptism to one of the Biya children. For all this solicitude to the people of Cameroon and to his immediate family, President Paul Biya could not have stayed away from such an important event concerning Pope John Paul II just as he was present for his burial in 2005.

The President and the First Lady flew into Rome’s Fumicino at about 6.30pm (5.30 Yaounde time). After a formal welcome by the chief of papal protocol, President and Mrs Biya drove for one hour to Rome’s Cavalieri Roma hotel. At the hotel precincts, several delegations of Italy-based Cameroonian associations had virtually besieged the area, making it very difficult for security officials to keep the chanting crowd under check and to prevent them from disturbing other customers of the hotel. There was hardly any space left for other visitors as the hotel lobby and the entrance were all occupied with anxious compatriots eager to be among the privileged few to shake hands with the presidential couple on arrival. Apart from an impressive turnout of Cameroonian priests studying in Rome, the dress outfits clearly indicated that delegations came from all the four corners of the Republic. The exuberant “Bamenda” attire was all over the place. So was the distinctive “Ndop” outfit from the West Region accompanied with decorative beads. The “sawa” made an impressive showing with their white shirts and extravagant wrappers while those from the Fang-Beti cultural realm could be easily noticed with their cries of joy in the Beti language. The crowd went hysteric when the Presidential limousine taxied to a halt and excitement went further when the presidential couple continued to acknowledge the greetings from the happy group. The next day Sunday, President Biya and the First Lady were among the early arrivals at the mass. Before taking up their seats to the immediate left of the Pope, they had been introduced into some of the inner sections of St Peter’s Basilica. The couple sat prayerfully all through the 265-minute mass flanked by a number of other world leaders. Of the 15 Heads of State present three others came from Africa: Presidents Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo and Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe. After the mass, the Presidential couple joined other worshippers in praying briefly before the coffin of the Blessed John Paul 11 which had been brought before Altar of Confession in the Basilica.

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

Audiences In Rome By Presidential Couple

After Sunday’s beatification ceremony in Rome, the President of the Republic and the First Lady spent most of yesterday receiving a number of personalities and delegations. President Biya, in the first audience held in the Bernini Hall of Rome’s Waldorf Astoria or the Roma Cavalieri, received Professor Vittorio Collizi, Scientific Director of the Chantal Biya International Reference Centre, a well-known figure in Cameroon for his association with the centre, located at the Melen neighbourhood in the national capital. After the 30-minute exchange, Professor Collizi told the press that he had discussed issues relating to further developing the scientific capacity of the Centre, by obtaining new partnership agreements with other renowned international research centres. He said the centre was gaining more reputation with each coming day as evidenced by the interest shown by the results obtained at the Reference centre.

Shortly before midday, a three-person delegation from the Sant’Egido community also called on the President. After spending some 45 minutes exchanging with the President of the Republic, the delegation leader, Professor Mario Girio told Cameroon Tribune that they had received the President’s encouragements to continue their development activities in Cameroon where they are active in the health sector with an AIDS research centre in Dschang, West Region. He said they also discussed issues related to crisis management resolution in Africa and received the president’s encouragement and support. The Sant’Egido community, a Catholic non-governmental organization present in 70 countries, began its activities in Cameroon in 1989. It is well known for its numerous successful efforts at mediation. It was under its aegis that peace was arrived at in Mozambique following years of civil war and which paved the way for a new political configuration in which several political parties are functioning normally.

In the early afternoon, the First Lady, on her part, received a delegation of Cameroonian Religious led by Reverend Sister Therese Martin Ngueme, from the Yaounde-based Congrégation des Filles de Marie. The four Sisters are all studying in Rome.

On the Head of State’s instructions, the Director of the Civil Cabinet Martin Belinga Eboutou also received a delegation of 16 members of the Cameroon Religious Group, the sole Cameroonian association recognized as an institution by the Holy See. The delegation was led by its current president, Rev. Father Jean Bertrand Etoundi, a priest of the Pallotine order currently studying in Rome.

The Presidential couple left Rome in the late afternoon.