Most Holy Father,
I allow myself to address this letter to you in a spirit of deep deference and sincere filial love, in the name of the poor mentioned in the very first exhortation of your pontificate Dilexit te. It can enlighten your discernment.
I learned with joy that preparations for Your pastoral visit to Cameroon are underway. The Hall of the Successor of Peter is always an immense grace for the people of God, as was the case during the visits of Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
However, Most Holy Father, allow me, in a spirit of truth and responsibility, to express a sadness that inhabits many Cameroonians attached to justice and peace. The timing chosen for such a visit seems particularly delicate to me.
Our country is going through a serious political and moral crisis. The last elections of October 12, marred by massive fraud, resulted in the retention in power of a regime whose legitimacy is strongly contested. This situation led to a painful post-election crisis, marked by violence, deaths and severe repression.
It is also distressing to note that most electoral fraud and social abuses are the work of citizens who call for Christians, but whose actions contradict the Gospel of justice and truth. The churches are full on Sundays, but society remains full of corruption, injustice and violence that crucify the poor.
Paul Biya, whose regime has once again violated the will of the people who had chosen another candidate, is 93 years old and has been in power for 43 years. He seeks to maintain his position for another seven years, at the cost of the lives of young Cameroonians who have fallen under bullets. Indeed, Most Holy Father, the dozens of victims recorded were killed by bullets fired at unarmed civilians by the army which became a militia in the pay of one man, which tragically demonstrates the lack of concern given to the dignity of human life in our country, especially that of the poorest. These tragedies tear our consciences and call for a prophetic word of truth and compassion.
In the crisis gripping Cameroon today, almost all of the protesters killed are poor people, these disarmed and abandoned young people whose only weapon was their thirst for justice and freedom. Their shed blood is a powerful reminder that the Gospel of Christ can never be separated from the cry of the oppressed.
As you recall in the very first apostolic exhortation Dilexit Te (DT), “affection towards the Lord is united with that towards the poor” (DT 5). Listening to this cry, say to yourself again, “we are called to identify with the heart of God who is attentive to the needs of his children, especially the most deprived” (DT, 9).
Now, this heart of God is bruised today, because “on the bruised faces of the poor, we see printed the suffering of the innocent and, consequently, the very suffering of Christ” (DT, 9). Cameroon has become the tragic mirror of these words: while the poor die in the streets, an ageing elite clings to power and “swells the number of those who live in a bubble of comfort and luxury, almost in another world compared to ordinary people” (DT, 11).
In this context, the visit of the Holy Father, if it were to take place now, would risk being taken over by an illegitimate government in search of respectability. However, Dilexit reminds you insistently that “God’s preferential option for the poor” (DT 16) cannot be betrayed by an ill-informed proximity to the powerful: “Or we even choose a pastoralso-called elites, arguing that instead of wasting time with the poor, it is better to take care of the rich, the powerful and the professionals so that through them we can achieve more effective solutions. It is easy to grasp the worldliness that lies behind these opinions: they lead us to look at reality using superficial criteria devoid of any supernatural light, favouring associates that reassure us and seeking privileges that suit us” (DT, 114). This is why, in fidelity to this evangelical vision, it is important that the visit of the Holy Father is not exploited, but remains a prophetic sign in favour of the poor whose cry rises every day to God.
Most Holy Father, it should also be clarified that the regime in place, whose members have enriched themselves in a scandalous manner on the backs of the poor, will not hesitate to mobilise considerable resources to finance Your visit, even if this must be to the detriment of schools, hospitals and essential services for the population. Everything will be staged to give the illusion of a prosperous and welcoming country, but behind these appearances lies a tragic reality: these funds come from impoverished people, from these same poor people for whom there is neither care, nor employment, nor future. It’s money taken from the poor of a country about which we care little, but whose poverty we exploit to improve the image of power.
Most Holy Father, the hands of the members of the Paul Biya regime that You will shake during Your visit to Cameroon, like those of Herod and Pilate, are stained with the blood of poor Cameroonians, victims of political repression. How do we periodically forget the thousands of our brothers and sisters who perished as part of the Anglophone crisis, a national tragedy which, to this day, has still not found a just and lasting solution? These gaping wounds call not for diplomatic gestures, but for a word of truth and sincere support towards peace.
In such a context, a papal visit, if it were to take place now, would risk being interpreted as an implicit form of caution given to a discredited and illegitimate power.
This is why, Most Holy Father, with all the respect and loyalty that I owe You, I would like to suggest that you postpone this visit to a more favourable time, when Cameroon will have regained a climate of justice, peace and reconciliation, with legitimate authorities. Cameroon today has a greater need for peace mediation in truth and justice, and in this, the Community of Sant’Egidio could be of great help. Such an initiative, supported by the Holy See, could open a path for sincere dialogue between the parties and help our nation emerge from this historic impasse. Once the crisis has subsided and hearts reconciled, your visit would then be welcomed in a climate of peace and truly evangelical joy.
I am aware, Most Holy Father, that these words may expose me to risks, but I feel imbued with the duty to tell the truth, even when it could cost me my life. But a consecrated life is a life already given.
I entrust this intention to You in prayer, thanking You for Your pastoral concern and Your testimony of faith. May God continue to bless your Petrine ministry and may He watch over Cameroon in these times of trial and over all suffering humanity.
Please accept, Most Holy Father, the expression of my most filial and respectful feelings.
Ludovic Lado, S.J.
Cameroonian Jesuit priest
Harvard University
(Our loose translation)
