L'Afrique devrait en tout état de cause s'atteler à sa propre édification au lieu de jouer les guignols au côté d'un Occident obnubilé par ses intérêts propres et son influence à outrance. Le drame de l'Occident, c'est bien de se considérer civilisé dans un monde où il semble fatalement résolu à ne pas se départir de ses turpitudes, au demeurant tout aussi barbares que ces tragédies contre lesquelles il prétend se démener à grand déploiement d’artillerie. Honoré FOIMOUKOM
He is a Mill Hill Priest and the present Vicar General of the Diocese of Mamfe. He arrived in Cameroon as far back as 1969 and providentially began working in Mamfe, which at the time, was still under the Diocese of Buea. During a recent visit to Mamfe, we met Mgr Arnold who revisits some of the key moments of his stay in Mamfe. He also highlights some achievements in the areas of evangelisation and education in the Diocese of Mamfe. Excerpts
Mgr Arnold, how long have you been in Cameroon and can you comment on your stay here?
I have been in Cameroon since 1969. By chance I actually began my pastoral work in Mamfe that same year. From 1969 to 1972, I served in Mamfe. From 1977 to 1983, I was in Akwaya. So, I know much of Mamfe's forest areas and I enjoy the forest. My relationship with the people, both Catholics and non Catholics, is cordial. I am really enjoying my stay in Cameroon.
What can you say about the life of the Church in the Mamfe Diocese, which is still a young diocese?
The Mamfe Diocese is young diocese, but at the same time, it is not so young. We are preparing for the centenary of the Catholic Church in this part of Cameroon and within the boundaries of the present diocese.
So, the Church and the diocese, in that sense, are not new. We started in 1912. The first three groups of priests who came to Mamfe were the Palotine Fathers, followed by the Sacred Heart and later on by the Mill Hill Fathers. They all worked in Ossing. Together with the Basel Missionaries, they encountered a lot of difficulties in Mamfe- not only because of the climate and the long distances, but also because of the responses they got from the local population. The locals were standoffish and arrogant. As a result, the Mill Hill Fathers had to pull out with the hope that only a miracle could save the people.
Now, we may say the miracle has taken place and Christianity is alive in the diocese. After the opening of Okoyong in 1933, things changed drastically. The Ejagham side became Catholic inclined. This has continued and the Church has grown considerably.
When I just arrived in Mamfe, you hardly heard of vocations or the priesthood and sisterhood. That did not make sense to people at all. The locals could not understand why their children could not marry and have children. That was out of the question! That has changed. Mamfe Diocese now has a small number of Reverend Sisters who come from the diocese itself. There has been great progress.
To ensure further progress, the Catholic Church must find a way to make young people more committed in Church activities. The Basel Mission still dominates here. They are well organised, I must admit. The same difficulties they have encountered are the same the Catholic Church is facing.
The Youth Apostolate has not done well in past years. It is now picking up. I am impressed with the efforts the young people are making.
In your capacity as the Vicar General, are you concerting with the bishop to create more educational and health establishments given that they are very few in the diocese?
All of us, priests and dedicated laity, are cracking our brains on this issue. Initially, Catholic Education did not augur well for the local leadership. Inhabitants of Mamfe have instead opted for government schools as politicians and local administrators do advertise government services. They expect everything from the government. The Mamfe elite are mostly government-centred and government-dependent.
If we have to do something about that, then the younger generation has to see to it that Catholic values are maintained. We are proud of the services we offer. Public education costs a lot to the government. The government should instead have given more subsidies to private education, that is, to Catholic and Presbyterian schools, for example. In that case the government will gain a lot and the quality of education will be very good.
If we encourage young leadership in Church, that will be good. Such leadership will encourage the young to be more committed in Church activities and parents will eventually follow by sending their children to Catholic schools and making use of the services of Catholic health institutions.
Do you receive support from Catholic Christians?
They do support from time to time, though much is verbal. When it comes to material support and decision making, we receive less support.
I don't yet know how we change this, but it is quite clear that we have to work a lot towards mentality change. Anybody who works in a Catholic health or educational establishment feels that our Catholic population is not supportive enough.
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The 1994 Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa, lays emphasis on the financial autonomy of the Church in Africa. Is that the case with the Diocese of Mamfe?
Well, the local population is trying very hard. Since 1994, our parish budget has tripled even though the number of mission stations has reduced from a hundred and fifty (150) to seventy three (73). This is due to the creation of other parishes like Eyumujock, Akwaya and Mbeme Parish
If you were to make an appeal to Christians of Mamfe Diocese, that is, those resident in and out of Mamfe, what will you tell them?
Not just an appeal. We are a missionary Church and I see that Mamfe is exceedingly missionary inclined. Most of our Catholic Christians, who are baptised in hundreds every year, disappear after say six or seven years. They move to Douala, Yaounde and abroad and never come back to Mamfe.
As Christians move, they have an obligation to accomplish their Christian duties and to live the faith wherever they go. I also want to thank those who do think about the mission and its people. The case in point in the Diocese of Mamfe, are the people of Afap.
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