PASTORAL LETTER OF THE ARCHBISHOP AND AUXILIARY BISHOP OF BAMENDA ON
THE SACREDNESS AND DIGNITY OF HUMAN LIFE
TO ALL THE FAITHFUL AND PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL
“God created man in the image of himself,
in the image of God he created him,
male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
Dear brothers and sisters,
1. “I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for
all of you, I pray with joy” (Phil. 1:3). This is particularly true
now because of the difficult socio-political situation in which we
have been living during the last few years. We thank God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has called all of us to be saints (cf.
Rom. 1:7), for your faith and endurance. You are all present in our
thoughts and prayers in a special way as we begin once more the holy
Season of Lent. Lent is a time when we contemplate the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unique Saviour of the
world. By his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Jesus conquered sin
and death, reconciled us with God and restored us to the dignity of
the children of God. Lent is a time when we endeavour to open up to
God and to our neighbour through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. That
is why we invite you to meditate on the sacredness and dignity of
human life during this Season of Lent.
The Biblical Foundation of the Sacredness and Dignity of Human Life
2. Human life is the most sacred gift with which God, the author of
life, has endowed the human being. Right from creation humanity has
been called to share in the divine life because “God created man in
the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and
female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). This is the basis of the
sacredness and the dignity of human life. Without this divine
dimension the human person will be nothing but dust as the Ash
Wednesday liturgy reminds us: “For dust you are and to dust you shall
return” (Gen. 3:19). Aware of this the Psalmist exclaims: “what is man
that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you
should care for him?” (Ps. 8:4).
3. This sacredness and dignity of the human person has been made even
more wonderful by Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, who
became flesh and dwelt among us (cf. John 1:14).By the Incarnation,
the Son of God “was for a short while made lower than the angels”
(Hebrews 2:7) and “emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave,
and became as men are; … and humbler yet, even to accepting death,
death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). By his Resurrection he was raised
high by God “so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the
underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every
tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the
Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). By his Incarnation, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, identified himself with every human being and raised human
dignity even to a higher level. He tells us that whatever we do to any
human person is done to him (Mt. 25:40). Our human dignity is a gift
of God’s tremendous love for which we should continuously thank him
and of which we should jealously take care.
4. The first incidence of the profanation of human life recorded in
the Bible is the brutal and senseless murder of Abel by his brother
Cain (Gen. 4:1-16).This is because he cannot control his emotions of
anger against God and envy of his brother (vv. 5-7). The blood of his
innocent brother that he sheds will continue to cry out to God from
the ground that had opened its mouth to receive it (v.10).
Nevertheless God continues to protect the life of Cain, who is afraid
that he might be killed in revenge, by putting a mark on him. He tells
him that anyone who kills him will pay for it sevenfold: “if anyone
kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for him” (Gen. 4:15).
Later on the Decalogue formally forbids the shedding of human blood:
“You shall not kill” (Ex. 20:13).
Rampant Profanation and Disrespect of Human Life and Dignity
5. When human beings forget about their sacredness and dignity, they
consequently often behave as irrational beings and become a prey to
one another. This seems to be the case in the situation in which we
now find ourselves. Since the beginning of the crisis of the
Anglophone Problem which escalated on 21st of November 2016, there has
been increasing and rampant profanation and disrespect of human life
and the dignity of the human person. This has taken unimaginable and
alarming proportions. Violence has become common place because of the
frequent confrontations between the military and the secessionists.
Nearly every day we hear gunshots which are now jokingly referred to
as “popcorn” from various corners of our towns and villages. There is
indiscriminate killing of innocent people with impunity. It seems that
human life has lost its value and sacredness and the dignity of the
human being is rubbed in mud. Hospitals and health facilities are
vandalized for reasons hard to explain. Human Rights are being
violated with impunity in such a way that some wounded persons are
denied medical care and are taken away from hospitals and health
centres for summary extra judicial execution. Cold blooded killing has
become rampant and sometimes it is actually celebrated by opposing
parties. In fact, people are quick to kill those they suspect or
consider as their enemies. The breaking into houses, the burning of
houses, leaving hundreds of people homeless, and the looting and
burning of property no longer make news. Some men and women, students
and teachers, parents and children, religious men and women are not
only molested but kidnapped for ransom. Life seems to be valueless and
meaningless. The question on every lip is: what is life?
6. We are also experiencing a frightening disrespect for the dead.
Human corpses, sometimes terribly mutilated, are abandoned in the
streets and in the mortuaries without identification. The corpses of
some of those who have been killed are thrown into streams and rivers
or dumped near others’ compounds to make them suspects. Some of those
killed are burnt to ashes. We have seen dead bodies with heads, legs
or other parts of their bodies chopped off. It has now become normal
to hear an announcement over Radio that there are unidentified corpses
in the Bamenda Regional Hospital Mortuary. It is now not unusual to
see fresh or decomposing dead bodies on the public high way. A lot of
disrespectful things have been and are being done on dead bodies. Many
people have been prevented from taking and burying their loved ones.
All this is against the sacredness and dignity of the human person.
This is unheard of in our African tradition where the dead are
venerated.
The Teaching of the Church on the Sacredness and Dignity of Human Life
7. The teaching and tradition of the Church upholds that the bodies of
the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope
of the resurrection (CCC, n. 2300). The triviality with which many
seem to consider human life in the present moment in the North West
and South West Regions is a cause for great concern. We are deeply
concerned about the many innocent people who have lost their lives,
about the plight of the many people who are destitute, sick and
suffering, the men and women struggling for survival, and who are
forced to seek refuge and livelihood outside their homes, outside
their region of origin and outside their country because of the
ongoing senseless, fratricidal war. All human life is a precious gift
from God and every human being has dignity, worth, value and meaning,
regardless of size, shape, gender, ability, tongue or race because
he/she is created in the image and likeness of God (Gen.1:26-27). The
Second Vatican Council teaches that “the dignity of man rests above
all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This
invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he
comes into being. For if man exists, it is because God has created him
through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He
cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges the
love and entrusts himself to his creator” (G.S. n.19).
8. Human life is the most precious and sacred gift from God, the
author of life. It is “sacred because from its beginning it involves
the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special
relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the
Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can, under any
circumstance, claim for himself the right directly to destroy an
innocent human being” (C.C.C. n. 2258).Its value is intrinsic, for it
derives from God. “Of all visible creatures only man is ‘able to know
and love his creator. He is ‘the only creature on earth that God has
willed for its own sake’ and he alone is called to share, by knowledge
and love, in God’s own life. It was for this end that he was created,
and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity” (C.C.C. n. 356).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church goes on to state that: “being in
the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a
person, who is not just something, but someone” (C.C.C., n. 357).
9. Human life is sacred from conception until natural death. This
teaching of the Church is based on the belief that our lives have
their origin in God and return to God when we die. We believe that we
live our lives under God’s providential love and care. At times this
is difficult to understand, especially when tragedy and sorrow enter
our lives. However, as Christians, we believe that our lives come
from, and are cared for by someone greater than us - a loving God and
Father, who has given us the dignity of his adopted children and wants
all of us to discover him, live in the security of his love and return
to Him. Every human life, regardless of his or her stage of
development is sacred. As Pope Francis emphasizes, “equally sacred,
however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute,
the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable, infirm and
elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human
trafficking, new forms of slavery and every form of rejection” (G.E.
n. 101).
10. The divine injunction “Thou shall not kill” equally prohibits all
acts of the abuse and disrespect of human life and human dignity. Such
acts include torture “which uses physical or moral violence to extract
confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred"
(C.C.C., n. 2297). The abuse of human dignity sometimes leads to the
loss of life. Taking delight in torturing the dying person, removing
the wounded from hospital or abandoning the wounded to die unattended
to are all sins against the Fifth Commandment. It is sad, shameful and
totally unacceptable that even ambulances and private cars carrying
patients, wounded persons and pregnant women have not enjoyed the
freedom they need to bring such people speedily to hospital for
treatment, as should be the case. This is to the disgrace of all those
who apply rules disproportionately, or to those who, acting
arbitrarily, have ignored international conventions regarding
behaviour during war.
The Necessity and Urgency to Safeguard the Sacredness and Dignity of Human Life
11. The situation we are living now cannot leave us indifferent. All
acts that rub human beings of their life and dignity should be
vehemently condemned no matter who their perpetrators are. Human life
and its God-given dignity should always be respected and protected,
even during war and in situations such as the one in which we find
ourselves. It is therefore urgent and imperative that we do something
and immediately to prevent the situation from getting worse as it has
happened in other countries. In order to achieve this, all are
invited: individuals, families, groups, Christian communities, the
civil society, the government and the International Community to work
towards finding a lasting solution to stem the abuse of human life and
dignity that is going on now in the North West and South West Regions
of Cameroon. We want to reiterate that violence and the approach of
“neutralising” the secessionists is not the right solution because
violence only begets violence.
12. We, therefore once more earnestly appeal to the competent
authorities that the military should desist from the wanton killing of
innocent civilians and the burning down of houses which is the basic
cause of the displacement of the populations. We plead that there may
be no more delay in addressing effectively the real causes of the
present crises. “No matter what difficulties we face in our country, a
solution will never be found in violence, but rather in a dialogue
between opposing groups”. This message that was sent to the Heads of
State of all African countries 26 years ago by the Standing Committee
of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar
(SECAM) is still relevant to us today. We call on all the protagonists
to put down their arms, stop this senseless fratricidal and suicidal
war and have the courage to enter into dialogue with one another.
There is no other way outside frank and meaningful dialogue. Might is
not always right. True dialogue calls for humility. The process is not
just about sitting around a table, but changing the way of thinking,
talking and communicating with one another. Participants must be
willing to address the root causes of a crisis, not just the symptoms.
There can be no way forward without dialogue.
13. We appeal to the separatists to put down their arms in favour of
dialogue as the most appropriate way of solving the Anglophone
Problem. This dialogue should first be among themselves because a
household divided among itself cannot stand. We call on them and on
other armed groups which are exploiting the situation to refrain from
the use of violence and stop shedding the blood of their brothers and
sisters which like the blood of Abel is crying out to God from the
ground (cf. Gen. 4:10). We pray that they refrain from all forms of
abuse of human life and dignity such as intimidation, harassment,
torture, abduction, extortion and maltreatment which inflict untold
suffering and hardship on their brothers and sisters. We must all
unite to fight against exploitation, corruption and injustices of all
kinds if we want to build a better society for ourselves. We should
respect the common good, our own lives and the lives of other people.
14. During this crisis the fundamental human right of the children to
education has been greatly violated. We would like to reiterate the
importance and necessity of the education of the youth as the
indispensable instrument of the liberation and development of the
human person. The best way of preparing a better future which we are
all dreaming of cannot be through stopping our children from going to
school. What is needed is the education of the heart. As someone said;
“The heart of education is the education of the heart”. We should
always treat others as we would like them to treat us. This is the
golden rule (cf. Mt. 7:12).
15. The Church recognizes the importance of the media and the fact
that if the means of social communication are properly utilized they
“can be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to
men's entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and
support of the Kingdom of God. The Church recognizes, too, that men
can employ these media contrary to the plan of the Creator and to
their own loss. Indeed, the Church experiences maternal grief at the
harm all too often done to society by their evil use” (IM, n. 2).
While social media have made the world a global village and eased
communication which can strengthen relationship among the people of
God and enhance the quality of life, they can become a dangerous tool
in unscrupulous hands, when they are used to misinform the people,
propagate hate language and division instead of love and unity. It is
regrettable that some of the information presented by the media during
this crisis has not always promoted the sacredness and the dignity of
human life. We call on all and sundry to refrain from the spread of
false information, horrible and degrading images of the human person
and incendiary language which instil fear and hatred in the hearts and
minds of the people. The advice of Pope Francis to young people on
Tuesday 21 March 2017 immediately comes to mind “Don't let yourselves
be led astray by this false image of reality! Be the protagonists of
your history; decide your own future”. This advice holds good for us
today.
16. There is the need for education especially about the evil of
torture which degrades both the tortured and the torturer. In fact,
Article 10 of the International Convention against Torture, and Other
Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment says: “Each State
Party shall ensure that education and information regarding the
prohibition against torture are fully included in the training of law
enforcement personnel, civil or military, medical personnel, public
officials and other persons who may be involved in the custody,
interrogation or treatment of any individual subjected to any form of
arrest, detention or imprisonment”. We appreciate the efforts which
some members of the military and the forces of law and order are
making to protect human life and dignity. However, while the hierarchy
congratulates the military on the work they do, they should not fail
to condemn when they do the opposite of what they are called to do, to
protect human life.
17. Our priests and religious should preach and teach the faithful on
the sacredness and dignity of human life. We call on our Christian
communities to reinforce their efforts in the practice of studying and
sharing appropriate texts of the Word of God in the family and the
Small Christian Communities. It is in this way that the Church can
continue to be a light particularly in this dark period, to offer hope
to the people, and to stand for truth, justice and reconciliation. It
is equally in this way that, in the words of our venerable
predecessor, the late Archbishop Paul Verdzekov, of blessed memory,
who was a real apostle of the fight against torture, “the consciences
of Christians and of Christian Communities need to be awakened and
sensitized so that we may all face the reality of torture and join in
the struggle for its total elimination. Victims and torturers alike
need liberation. For this struggle, one of the principal and
efficacious arms which Christians must use is prayer, followed by acts
of solidarity with the victims of torture and their families, legal
action, denunciation, and pressure on the State Institution”.
18. Lent is the favourable time for conversion and reconciliation with
God and our neighbour. This is the message which St. Paul addresses to
us on Ash Wednesday to be ambassadors of reconciliation for Christ (2
Cor. 5:20-21; 6:2). It is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Prayer opens us up to God; fasting liberates and strengthens us in the
fight against sin and evil; and almsgiving opens us out to our
neighbour. This Lent we must intensify our prayers, especially the
Eucharistic celebration and Adoration. Let us pray more than ever
before for the Lord’s intervention in this crisis. Christ alone is the
one liberator who can free men and women from all forms of servitude
that dishonour humanity. It is Christ who “brings good news to the
poor, freedom to captives, opens the eyes of the blind, and liberates
the oppressed…” (Lk. 4:18). Let us pray for the repose of the souls of
those who have lost their lives in this crisis. Let us fast and make
penance and reparation for the sins of the profanation and disrespect
of human life and dignity. Through fasting and penance we are in
solidarity with all those who are suffering, especially the innocent
ones, who share in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Let us show compassion,
generosity and love to all those who are suffering: the poor, the
sick, the internally displaced and all those who are in need. Let us
pray for forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.
19. All of us must work for peace. This is the first step towards
avoiding war. If war has unfortunately broken out, all parties must
avoid arrogance and empty pride and be ready to acknowledge their
failures and readiness to engage in meaningful dialogue as a way
towards finding a lasting solution. Anger, vengeance, resentment are
clearly immediate steps towards killings (Mt. 6:21-26). St. Francis’
peace prayer is a tool that can touch our hearts and move us to seek
ways of regaining peace, beginning with ourselves. Lord, Make Me an
Instrument of Your Peace.
Gratitude to all who are promoting the Sacredness and Dignity of Human Life
20. We wish to render immense gratitude to each and every one in the
Archdiocese of Bamenda and beyond who has been working hard since the
beginning of this crisis to help the displaced person through their
generous contributions and in various other ways. We acknowledge the
heroic courage of our health institutions: doctors and nurses who
continue to risk their lives to save human life. May the Lord, the
chief physician, be their reward. We congratulate those members of the
military, the forces of law and order, the separatists and all who
have had the courage to acknowledge the fact that killing and torture
are abominable crimes and have consequently refused to participate in
carrying out such crimes. We remain grateful to all the people who
have risked their lives and gone out of their way to save lives, help
the injured and bury the dead, including strangers. By doing this they
are living Jesus’ invitation that “whatsoever you do to the least of
my brothers that you did for me” (Mt. 25:40).Pope Paul VI emphasized
this role when he said “May people look to us not just for charitable
handouts but for support in their legitimate struggle against all
forms of injustice and oppression (The Development of Peoples). We
remain grateful to those who have been praying night and day for God’s
intervention, and those who have acted as instruments of peace and
reconciliation. Christ said: “Blessed are the peace makers for they
shall be called sons of God!” (Mt. 5:9).
21. We call upon all the faithful and people of good will to pray
together, reason together, decide together, and act together, so that
the truth may prevail and the sacredness and the dignity of human life
be respected. May each and every one of us become what Saint Pope John
Paul II referred to as “promoters of a new way of looking at life” (E.
V., n. 99). In the face of the present crisis let each and everyone
repeat the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have decided to stick
to love; hate is too great a burden to bear."
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word, Queen of
Peace and Patroness of Cameroon intercede for us all. Amen.
Given on 06th March 2019
Ash Wednesday
†Cornelius FONTEM ESUA
Archbishop of Bamenda
†Michael MIABESUE BIBI
Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda
References
1. Bonaventure Ndong (2018). Reflection on the 5th Commandment in
Radio Evangelium, on the Programme “Proud to be a Catholic”. June
2018.
2. Chapman, G. (1999). Catechism of the Catholic Church, Popular and
Definitive Edition, Liberia Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano.
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Mirifica. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
4. Pope Paul VI (1965). Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution On The
Church in the Modern World). Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
5. Paul VI (1967). Populorum Progressio (The Development of Peoples).
6. Paul Verdzekov (2005). Southern Cameroons: Torture and Human Rights
in Our Society. Speech on the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights March 17, 2005.
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9. Pope John Paul II (1995). Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life).
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for all. Message sent to the Heads of State of all African countries
by the Standing Committee of SECAM, the Symposium of Episcopal
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– 2 May 1993, page 3 Weekly Edition.
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(Rejoice and Be Glad), On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2018.
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America, June 9, 2016.
“Human life is the most sacred gift with which God, the author of
life, has endowed the human being. Right from creation humanity has
been called to share in the divine life because ‘God created man in
the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and
female he created them’ (Genesis 1:27).”
A Prayer for Life
“Father and maker of all, you adorn all creation with splendour and
beauty, and fashion human lives in your image and likeness. Awaken in
every heart reverence for the work of your hands, and renew among your
people a readiness to nurture and sustain your precious gift of life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
Amen” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).
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