Catholic Priest Challenges Bishops’ Call for Political Distance

A public intervention by Fr. Francis Sama Muma, a U.S.-based Cameroonian Catholic priest, has reignited debate over the role of the Catholic Church in Cameroon’s deepening political and social crisis. In a sharply worded reflection shared with MMI News, Fr. Muma questions whether the country’s Catholic hierarchy can credibly preach the Gospel while distancing itself from what he describes as pervasive injustice.

His comments come in response to a recent message by Archbishop Andrew Nkea, president of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), who urged Cameroonians to “take their civic responsibilities” while allowing bishops to focus on preaching the Gospel.

“That message filled me with dismay,” Fr. Muma wrote. “I truly wonder what kind of Gospel we the clergy are called to preach that does not directly address the injustices of our society.”

A Gospel That Names Injustice

At the heart of Fr. Muma’s critique is the idea that an “apolitical” Church risks becoming passive in the face of suffering. He rejects the notion that political distance absolves Church leaders from confronting abuses of power.

“The NECC does not need to become a political party to directly confront the ills of our society,” he argued, adding, “I don’t believe the Church’s apolitical stance is synonymous with neutrality or passivity.”

He questioned whether Cameroonians genuinely enjoy the freedom to exercise civic responsibility when outcomes appear predetermined by what he called “those in the Cameroon upper echelon.”

Looking Beyond Cameroon

To underscore his point, Fr. Muma pointed to examples outside Cameroon where senior Church leaders have spoken forcefully against injustice. He cited Pope Leo XIV, praising the pontiff for “forcefully, specifically and publicly denouncing the excesses of the United States government, especially regarding minorities and the oppressed.”

He also referenced Archbishop Edward Weisenburger, who has publicly condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza and even invited a local bishop to fundraise in his archdiocese. According to Fr. Muma, such actions carry real personal and political risk. “Such a stance in this current political atmosphere can lead one to be labelled anti-Semitic and even get jail time,” he noted. “He knew the challenges… but he nevertheless did it.”

For Fr. Muma, these examples raise an uncomfortable question for Cameroonian bishops: “I wonder if our Most Holy Father and Archbishop Weisenburger are doing something contrary to the magisterium that calls for an apolitical stance of the Church?”

A Historical Role, a Present Expectation

Fr. Muma also invoked Africa’s recent history, asking whether the Catholic bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo were ever sanctioned for their outspoken involvement in electoral matters. The implication, he suggests, is that moral clarity has long required engagement, not withdrawal.

“The Catholic Church historically has been and is still a very strong voice of the voiceless in many parts of the world,” he wrote. “Cameroon cannot be an exception.”

While acknowledging that clergy are barred from campaigning for political candidates, he stressed that Church teaching draws a clear line between partisan politics and moral witness. Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he reminded readers that clergy “have the obligation to teach moral truth to power.” He also referenced Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Council document that affirms the Church “cannot remain indifferent to the moral dimension of public life.”

A Call Heard—or Ignored?

Fr. Muma’s intervention reflects growing frustration among Cameroonians who, he says, are “tired of talking the talk and not walking the walk.” In his view, many citizens feel powerless, leaving the Church as one of the few institutions still capable of shaping conscience and demanding accountability.

Whether the NECC will respond remains to be seen. But the challenge has been laid down publicly and unmistakably: in a time of national crisis, silence—or distance—may itself be a moral choice.

Fr. Muma closed his message with a note of hope, extending New Year wishes “for justice and peace,” even as he called on Church leaders to decide what kind of Gospel Cameroon needs now—one preached only from the pulpit, or one that speaks directly to power.

MMI News