Apostolic Nuncio in Cameroon Urges Protection of Children's Right to Education ahead of New Academic Year

Yaounde, 04 September, 2024 / 10:29 PM

The representative of the Holy Father in Cameroon is calling for the protection of children's right to education ahead of the start of the 2024/2025 academic year in the Central African nation slated for Monday, September 9 amid reports of violence in the troubled Anglophone regions of the country. 

In a message issued Monday, September 2, Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt says violence is never justified.

“Violence comes from evil. Peace, and only peace, comes from God. We must remember that violence is not justified – not on Sundays, not on Mondays, or any other day of the week,” Archbishop Bettencourt says.

He adds, “Children suffer the most when there is violence. They are the most vulnerable, the most impressionable, and yet, they are the ones who bear the brunt of the conflicts that they did not create.”

“When children are deprived of their right to education, we are not just robbing them of their future; we are also robbing the nation of its future,” the Portuguese-born Vatican diplomat, who also represents the Holy Father in Equatorial Guinea, says. 

This month of September, he appeals, “let us not prevent children from going to school. Let us free the children. Let us allow the children to build the future.” 

Referring to the late South African President, Nelson Mandela, the Apostolic Nuncio emphasizes the need to educate “all of our children”, and making it “one of our most urgent priorities.”

Education is the cornerstone of any society’s development, he says, adding, “We all know that educating more than anything else improves our chances of building better lives. It is through education that we can break the cycle of poverty and violence and create a society where peace and prosperity are the norms.”

The member of the Clergy of Canada’s Ottawa-Cornwall Catholic Archdiocese goes on to cite Pope Francis, who he says has consistently emphasized the importance of education. 

“Pope Francis reminds us that the mission of schools and teachers is to develop an understanding of all that is true, good, and beautiful,” he says, and adds, “This mission is especially critical in times of conflict, where the temptation might be to give in to despair and hopelessness. But we must resist that temptation and continue to provide our children with the tools they need to build a better future.”

“Violence is never justified. Only peace is the way of the future,” Archbishop Bettencourt reiterates, and calls upon all Cameroonians, especially those in positions of power, to work together to ensure that children can return to school in safety. 

“Please, let the children attend school, and together let us work for peace,” he says, and goes on to implore, “May God give us the strength and the wisdom to create a future where every child can wake up without fear and go to school with hope in their hearts.”