From Bakah Derick in Bamenda
A
letter from the Archbishop and Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda has been read to
Roman Catholic faithful requesting prayers for dialogue and a peaceful solution
of the Anglophone problem.
The letter was read in all churches in the
Archdiocese of Bamenda Wednesday August 15, Solemnity of the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary very well known in some Roman Catholic cycles as “Big Day
Maria.” Here is the letter in its entirety.
Re: AN APPEAL BY THE ARCHBISHOP
AND AUXILIARY BISHOP OF BAMENDA TO THE FAITHFUL ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE
ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, 2018, FOR PRAYERS FOR DIALOGUE AND A
PEACEFUL SOLUTION OF THE ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM
This year we celebrate the
solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven in the
prevailing socio-political situation of violence and insecurity we have been
living through since November 2016. In a number of occasions, we, your Bishops,
have called on all families, Small Christians Communities and Parish
Communities to organize the praying of the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration so
that true dialogue, justice, reconciliation and peace can be achieved. We have
also asked Christians to continue to implore the intervention of God through
the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary by praying the MEMORARE and through
the intercessionof St. Francis of Assisi by his PRAYER FOR PEACE. We thank all
those who have been praying and ask all of you to continue and intensify the
prayers, so that Our Lady may intercede for us so that the current crisis may
come to a peaceful end.
Unfortunately, the situation
does not seem to be improving. In fact; it is deteriorating as there is a
refusai of genuine dialogue by the parties concerned. There is continuous and
open violent confrontation leading to the death and suffering of many innocent
victims. Many families have lost their dear ones and many people continue to be
displaced and living out of their homes. We are living through a lot of grieve,
fear and uncertainty. We express our condolences (9 all those who have lost
their dear ones and we pray that the All Merciful Father may forgive their sins
and grant them eternal rest with the Risen Lord. We Want to assure all those
who are suffering in any way because of this unfortunate situation of our
solidarity and solicitude.
The Church as Mother will
continue to do everything in her power to come to the material and spiritual
assistance of all without any distinction or discrimination.
As we celebrate the Solemnity
of the Assumption this year we, your Bishops, ask you to intensify the
Eucharistic Adoration, the praying; of the Rosary and other novena prayers in
order that there may be an end to violence and hostility in favour of dialogue
which alone can lead to reconciliation and peace. Today let us raise up our
hearts and minds in supplication to the almighty father through the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "the woman adorned with the sun,
standing on the moon and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown”. She
rescued the child Jesus from the "dragon which had seven heads and ten
horns” to a place of safety which God had made ready for him by whom “victory and
power and empire for ever have been won’ (cf Apoc. 12:1 -,6 10) She will surely
come to our rescue as well "for never was it known that anyone who fled to
her intercession was left unaided. ” That is; why the Church exhorts all her
faithful to “pour forth persevering prayer to the Mother of God and Mother of
men", imploring her to “intercede with her Son in the fellowship of all
the saints” so that all people, whether they are believers or not, might be
“happily gathered in peace and harmony into the people of God” (LG 69).
May the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Queen of Peace and Principal Patroness of Cameroon, intercede for us. Amen
Given in Bamenda, Monday, 6th
August 2018 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord