The government of Cameroon has held talks with the Catholic Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, His Grace Jose Alvelino Bettencourt, amid utterances made by some bishops of Cameroon, calling on the Head of State, Paul, not to seek another mandate at the presidency. The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, held talks with the Pope’s representative this Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at the auditorium of his ministry.
Authoritative sources say the Minister reminded the Nuncio of the framework agreement between Cameroon and the Vatican and beckoned on the Pope’s representative to caution the bishops to shun making statements that can destabilise public peace. Paul Atanga Nji also reminded the Nuncio of the great diplomatic relations the state shares with the church and pleads that it stays that way.
On his part, the Apostolic Nuncio assured the Minister of the Interior of the church’s continuous respect of the gentlemanly agreement between the state and the Vatican. The visiting Nuncio also handed a sealed message to the President of the Republic from Pope Francis.
Worth mentioning is the fact that the utterances of the Bishops of Douala, Yaguoa, and Ngaoundere call on President Paul Biya not to stand again for the upcoming presidential election. The statements have stirred polarised debates across the different political spectrums of Cameroon, causing the government to react and say the stance of those bishops will not influence the minds of Cameroonians.
The Apostolic Nuncio is expected in Buea to hold a private meeting with all the bishops of Cameroon on Friday January 10 and then celebrate the closing mass of the Bishops of Cameroon, as well as dedication of the CMA secretariat.
