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Government’s silence punctures Good Friday observance in Bamenda


Christians of All Saints Parish Bayelle Nkwen-Bamenda on Good Friday organized a customized version of the traditional public way of the cross being part of activities to observe the Christian Holiday. 

Announcing the customized version of the public way of the cross, a priest in Bayelle told a church gathering on Holy or Maundy Thursday that due to regional administrative silence over an application letter the church sent seeking authorization to carry out the activity on Good Friday, the public way of the cross will now take place within the church premises.

The public way of the cross which normally assemblies thousands of Christians of the Bayelle Church on  major streets from Foncha Junction, via mile two, cow street, mobile Nkwen and so on had to go unnoticed. 

It is however not clear why the Priest choose to apply for a regional authorization mindful of the fact that such public manifestation are authorized by the Divisional Officer for the area and this case would have been the DO for Bamenda III Sub division where the Bayelle Catholic Church is found. Though one would fault the regional office to which the letter was sent for not redirecting to local authorities, it remains unclear why the said office remained mute on the issue. 

Though reports talk of many other Catholic Churches in the regional headquarters effectively carrying out the public way of the cross, Bayelle’s fellow to perform ages long tradition left many worried following the strategic location of the Church in the city center and thousands who were directly involved as participants. 

Good Friday it should be recalled is a traditional Christian observance that remembers the crucifixion of their founder Jesus Christ. Just like history has it that he carried his cross to a certain Mt Calvary where he was crucified, so to do Christians observe the day with a simulation of the journey to the Calvary with someone or people made to carry a cross in public. Dramas, Sketches and special prayer sessions not Holy Masses are organized on Good Friday. Good Friday comes a day before Easter Sunday observed as the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ. Church Services marked Easter vigil (Saturday night) and Easter Sunday. In Bamenda Vigils were rescheduled or canceled with respect to the regional order that limits movements. 

The controversy happens to be one amongst many that marked this year’s Lenten season in Bamenda with the first being a regional order that banned the movement of persons and property between 8pm and 6am thwarting early morning stations of the cross. Though the order will later be modified to be from 9pm to 5am, many Catholic Churches in the city had to move the Lenten tradition to the afternoon and early evening hours. Times for paschal Triduum involving vigils and adoration had to be modified or cancelled since it clashed regional administrative efforts to maintain peace and order within the sociopolitical crisis.

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