The Archbishop of Bamenda, His Grace Andrew Nkea, delivered an emotional and visibly moved address during the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Bamenda, describing the Pontiff’s presence as a moment of healing for communities affected by years of unrest.
Speaking in a cathedral filled with religious leaders, traditional authorities and representatives of multiple faith traditions, the Archbishop suggested that even without words, the Pope’s presence alone carried symbolic and spiritual weight.
“His presence is a consoling presence,” he said, adding that the visit comes “like the dawn from on high” and “like rain that never falls to the earth without watering the ground.”
With emotion rising in his voice, he declared: “Now is the time for peace.”
The Archbishop framed the visit as a collective moment for the entire region rather than a single religious community, noting the presence of Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, traditional rulers, clergy, seminarians and lay faithful from across the North West and South West regions.
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“There is no Catholic peace, there is no Islamic peace, there is no Protestant peace. Peace is peace,” he said, insisting that reconciliation must cut across religious and communal lines.
He urged communities not to miss what he described as a rare opportunity for healing, stressing that the Pope’s visit should translate into long term commitment to peacebuilding, justice and reconciliation.
“We shall not waste the chance that your presence offers us,” he told the Pontiff. “We have lived this situation together.”
The Bamenda visit is widely viewed as one of the most symbolic moments of the Pope’s trip to Cameroon, with expectations high that his engagements with local communities will reinforce calls for an end to violence and a renewed path toward coexistence.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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