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.