Over 800 Attending 2025 Youth Camp at Cameroonian Catholic Diocese Urged to Embrace Faith and Discipline

“Pope Francis… declared this year to be the Jubilee Year of Hope, inviting all of us to be pilgrims of hope, because when we hope and we trust in God, he will never disappoint us,” Bishop Bibi said.

He underscored the importance of the Eucharist as the “source and summit of our Christian life,” and encouraged the young people to recognize the fourfold presence of Christ during every Eucharistic celebration: in the Word, in the Eucharist itself, in the minister, and in the gathered assembly.

“As we are gathered here, over 800 of us, Jesus is present in our midst. He is there to accompany us and be with us so that we become the true sons and daughters of God,” the Catholic Church leader said.

Bishop Bibi also addressed social vices that he said are increasingly destroying the lives of young people across Cameroon and beyond.

He issued a strong warning against what he called "scamming", the act of defrauding others for personal gain.

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“There are people in our society today who do not want to work but who use ways and means in order to extort what others have,” he said. 

The Cameroonian Catholic Bishop continued, “Of course, those who are practicing scamming… know in their mind that it's easy and good to have quick money… but that may take your life out of this world.”

Bishop Bibi also condemned drug abuse, particularly the consumption of Indian hemp and other substances which young people take “to give them courage” but which ultimately harm their faith and future.

“We must make the effort every day not to fall into that temptation… and for those of us who may have fallen into it, to see what we can do to come out of it,” he said.

On the issue of sexual promiscuity, Bishop Bibi lamented the disregard for human dignity among youth, which he said leads many to “suffer because of the type of life that they lead.”

“Young people… do not respect their dignity and they do not respect the dignity of others. We are all called upon to make efforts every day to avoid these situations in our lives,” he said.

Despite these challenges, Bishop Bibi assured the young people of God's unfailing love and presence.

“We should never doubt the love of God for us… He loves us and will continue to watch over us,” he said, adding, “And if God loves us, we are called upon to love God in return and to… express our love for one another.”

Bishop Bibi entrusted the youth to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that the lessons learned from the Youth Camp—through family, school, and society—would help form “responsible Christians and citizens in our nation and beyond.”

“It has been my prayer and wish… that you will not leave this place the same as you came in. That you must have picked certain things… that will help you as far as your Christian life is concerned,” he said during the July 19 event.

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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.