Apostolic Administrator of Cameroon’s Buea Diocese Appointed Diocesan Bishop

By Magdalene Kahiu

Buea, 05 January, 2021 / 2:09 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Michael Miabeseau Bibi who has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of Buea Diocese since December 2019 has been appointed as the Local Ordinary of the Cameroonian Diocese located in the Southwestern region of the Central African country.

The appointment of the Cameroonian-born Prelate who has also been serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bamenda since March 2017 was made public by the Holy See Press Office Tuesday, January 5.

He is expected to take over from Bishop Emmanuel Bushu who retired in December 2019 aged 75. Bishop Bushu had served as the Local Ordinary of Buea, Cameroon’s oldest Diocese, since his transfer from Yagoua Diocese in Cameroon in January 2007.

Ordained a Priest of the Archdiocese of Bamenda in April 2000, Bishop Bibi, 49, is the youngest Catholic Prelate in the Central African nation.

He holds a master’s degree in Theology, with specialization in Catechetics from Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, England. He is also an alumnus of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary of Bambui in Bamenda where he studied Philosophy and Theology.

Before he was appointed a Bishop, the Cameroonian Prelate had served in various positions among them Chaplain of the Sacred Heart College, Mankon in the Archdiocese of Bamenda, Assistant Archdiocesan Financial Secretary, Special Assistant to the Archbishop and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Bamenda.

As Apostolic Administrator of Buea, Bishop Bibi made administrative changes in the Diocese-owned Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB), leading to controversy among the members of the institution’s Council.

In June 2020, Bishop Bibi appointed Professor Victor Julius Ngoh as Vice-Chancellor, a position previously held by Fr. George Nkeze Jingwa whom the Bishop asked to take a sabbatical leave.

Following the controversies, the Holy Father, through the Vatican-based Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples, clarified the mandate of Bishop Bibi as the Apostolic Administrator of Buea Diocese.

In an interview with ACI Africa last month, Bishop Bibi acknowledged with appreciation the “strong faith” as well as “sacrifices” the people of God have demonstrated since his arrival in the Diocese of Buea.

“Ever since my arrival and work in the Diocese and after going through all the Parishes, I can confidently say that I have met a people with strong faith; a people who are ready to make all the necessary sacrifices to see to it that the word of God influences them and that they bring this word to their brothers and sisters,” Bishop Bibi told ACI Africa December 10.

“We should continue to serve the Lord in a spirit of humility and to be ready to sacrifice all that we have for the good of the Church,” the Cameroonian Bishop told ACI Africa on the sidelines of the climax of the 70^th anniversary celebrations of the Diocese of Buea.

Bishop Bibi will serve as the sixth Local Ordinary of Buea.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.