By Eva-Maria Kolmann
The faithful of the
Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo in Cameroon are very afraid of suicide bomber attacks
by Boko Haram. The group may have suffered significant setbacks in neighboring
Nigeria, but the jihadist terrorists continue to wreak havoc in Cameroon.
When local Bishop
Bruno Ateba celebrates Mass outdoors, it’s now customary that the worshipers
hold hands, forming a circle, to prevent suicide bombers from mingling
unnoticed among members of the community. Plus, large handbags are barred and
volunteers screen Mass-goers for weapons and explosives.
“Many of the suicide
attacks are carried out by very young people,” the bishop told international
Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). He added that just last month
two teenage girls blew themselves up in a local marketplace.
Nonetheless, the local
Catholic community is undeterred from gathering: “Prayer is our strength and
our hope. We need prayer! We want to pray! Prayer in community is a sign of
hope,” said Bishop Ateba.
At times, the very act
of prayer can save lives. Last February, during Lent, suicide bombers killed 20
people in the village of Mémé—the death toll would have been worse if many
locals had not been inside a church praying the Stations of the Cross.
The bishop expressed
dismay that the suffering of his flock fails to generate coverage by
international media. “When something happens in Europe, the news immediately
spreads around the entire world. It is like an earthquake. But if people die
here in Cameroon or in other African countries, it is not a big issue,” he
said.
The Diocese of
Maroua-Mokolo also faces a huge humanitarian crisis as it is helping to care
for close to 80,000 Nigerian refugees living in a camp; there are 5,000
Catholics among them.
“Many of the people
would like to return to their homeland, but they need safety and prospects!
Many have already been there for four or five years and cannot go home,” Bishop
Ateba said.
In addition to
refugees, the diocese is also hosting 50,000 internally displaced Cameroonians,
who fled villages right at the border with Nigeria. The local Church is a vital
source of support for these IDPs.
Nonetheless, there are
bright spots. Vocations are plentiful: there are 30 seminarians preparing for
the priesthood. The bishop is also very happy with what he called the
“wonderful dialogue” that has opened up with Muslims, despite the problems with
Boko Haram.
Many Muslim
children—even the sons and daughters of religious leaders—are attending
Catholic schools. “The average Muslim is also opposed to Boko Haram,” the
prelate said.
Meanwhile, local
Catholics continue to pray ardently for peace; “the hope of the people is
primarily rooted in their belief in God. We trust in prayer,” the bishop said.
“Prayer is our
strength. And, despite the attacks, we will not stop gathering and asking God
for this peace.”
Aid to the Church in
Need gives some $1.8M in aid for Cameroon each year.
With picture of faithful in the Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo (© ACN)
Editor’s Notes:
Directly under the
Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports
the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.
ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through
prayer, information and action.
Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul
II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work
in over 145 countries throughout the world.
The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including
providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church
buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since
the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed
worldwide.
For more information contact Michael Varenne at
michael@churchinneed.org or call
718-609-0939 or fax718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street,
PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384. www.churchinneed.org
