Speaking during a press conference in Bamenda on Friday 20 March 2026, Archbishop Andrew Nkea addressed growing public anticipation that the Pope’s visit could bring a swift end to the crisis, instead framing the visit as part of a longer process of reconciliation.
“Peace is not like a switch when you put on and off. Peace is a process,” he said, delivering what stood out as the central message of the briefing. “The Pope’s message is going to assist us in the process of trying to reach definitive peace.”
The Archbishop emphasised that while the papal visit carries moral and spiritual weight, it should not be misinterpreted as a political intervention capable of producing immediate outcomes.
“We are going to listen to what he will say,” he added. “With his wide experience and the presence of the Holy Spirit, what he will say to us will help us a long way in the process of reaching peace.”
The remarks come as preparations intensify for the Pope’s four day stay in Cameroon from 15 to 18 April, part of a wider African tour that will also take him to Algeria, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
Archbishop Andrew Nkea confirmed that the visit to Cameroon followed formal invitations from both the Church and the State, a requirement given the Pope’s dual role as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church and head of the Vatican City State.
“I carried two letters,” he revealed, referring to his trip to Rome for the papal installation. “One was a letter of congratulation, and the second was a letter of invitation to the Pope to come to Cameroon.”
The national theme of the visit, “May they all be one,” he said, was deliberately chosen against a backdrop of division, political tensions and the spread of hate speech within the country.
In Bamenda, where the Pope is expected on 16 April, the focus will be more direct. The theme for the North West encounter, drawn from the Gospel of John, is “My peace I give you, my peace I leave you,” reflecting the urgent need for healing in a region deeply affected by years of violence.
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The Archbishop disclosed that the Pope will meet a broad cross section of society at Saint Joseph's Metropolitan Cathedral, including traditional rulers, civil society actors, religious leaders and internally displaced persons, before celebrating Mass at Bamenda Airport.
Beyond the spiritual dimension, the Archbishop acknowledged visible infrastructural improvements underway in Bamenda ahead of the visit, describing them as part of the cultural obligation to prepare for an important guest.
“The Pope is not coming for infrastructural inspection,” he said pointedly. “He is coming to see the people. Where there is one sheep, the pastor is obliged to go.”
He also reiterated that access to papal events will be strictly controlled through accreditation passes, all of which will be issued free of charge, warning against any attempts to commercialise participation.
Addressing questions on the potential impact of the visit, Archbishop Andrew Nkea returned to a consistent theme: change will be gradual and uneven.
“If the Pope comes to Bamenda and preaches peace to one million people, if one man gets converted, it was worth the trouble,” he said. “You cannot convert everybody.”
The Archbishop further stressed that the visit is pastoral rather than political, urging the media to report it with objectivity and avoid framing it within partisan narratives.
As Bamenda prepares to host one of the most anticipated stops of the papal journey, the message from the Catholic leadership is that the visit of the Pope is not a quick fix to the crisis, but a moral intervention aimed at softening hearts, encouraging dialogue and advancing a long and uncertain path toward peace.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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