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“We’ll greatly miss Pope Francis”: President of Cameroon Conference of Catholic Bishops at National Peace Pilgrimage

Jude Atemanke

By Jude Atemanke

Edea, 29 April, 2025 / 10:42 pm (ACI Africa).

The President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) has paid glowing tribute to the late Pope Francis, who was laid to rest on April 26, affirming that the people of God in the Central African nation will “greatly miss” the late Pontiff.

In his homily during the National Pilgrimage for Peace in Cameroon that was held in Marienberg in the country’s Catholic Diocese of Edea, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea eulogized the late Pope Francis as a shepherd who had Cameroon close to his heart having maintained a strong pastoral bond with the Catholic Bishops in the country throughout his 12-year Pontificate.

“By divine providence, this pilgrimage to Marienberg, planned for April 26 and 27, coincided with the date of the burial of our Holy Father, called to the House of God on Easter Monday,” Archbishop Nkea said referring to the April 21 passing on of Pope Francis.

He added, “On the occasion of this pilgrimage, we join the Universal Church to pray for the repose of the soul of our Holy Father, who had Cameroon dear to his heart during his Pontificate and was also very close to all the Cameroonian Bishops.”

“We, the Catholic Church in Cameroon, will greatly miss Pope Francis. He received all the Bishops of our Conference in September 2023 during our last Ad Limina Apostolorum visit and was very kind to us in many ways,” the Cameroonian Archbishop said during the April 26 event.

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He continued, “Although His disappearance implies sadness, we are comforted by the resurrection of Christ, which we still celebrate when the news has fallen.”

“It has proven to us that life is stronger than death, and that it is only by dying that we can be born into eternal life,” the Local Ordinary of Cameroon’s Bamenda Archdiocese said, and added referring to the late Pope Francis, “The whole world pays Him a befitting tribute for his peculiar way of carrying out the Petrine ministry entrusted to him.”

“Right from the first evening of his election, in a spirit of simplicity and humility, he bowed his head and asked the crowd gathered there at St. Peter's Square to bless him as well. This humility marked his entire Pontificate,” Archbishop Nkea said recalling the events of 13 March 2013.

He added referring to the late Pontiff, “His firm commitment to helping the destitute, his love for peace and reconciliation, his resolve to bring the Clergy to live according to the same mercy they received from the Heavenly Father will never be forgotten.”

“May the soul of Pope Francis rest in peace,” Archbishop Nkea implored.

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The late Pope Francis, who passed on aged 88 was laid to rest on April 26 in his “beloved” Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major as he explained in his testament. He had suffered a stroke that was followed by a coma and an irreversible cardiovascular collapse. The late Pontiff had been struggling with double pneumonia and a respiratory infection.

As the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing her 267th Pope, the College of Cardinals announced on Monday, April 28 that the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7.

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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