Cardinal Christian Tumi, Paul Biya, and the Popes

Cameroon is a country beloved by the popes. Since John Paul II, whenever Roman Catholic Popes visit Africa, their first stop is in Cameroon. Pope Francis has not visited Africa yet and so we wait to see whether he would maintain this tradition or not. Why do the Popes do this? The reason is not clear to me. However, I continue to be surprised by the prominence of Cameroon on the map of the Roman Catholic hierarchy given that the country does not appear to have the most Catholics in Africa. Perhaps Cameroon has this prominence because the dictator of the country is a Roman Catholic! Thus the relations between the Popes and the Cameroonian hierarchy has served to bless Paul Biya's dictatorship as each Pope who visits the country shakes his hand and gives him communion. To most Cameroonians and even the international community, this alignment of the Popes with the dictatorship of Paul Biya gives his unholy regime the cover of legitimacy. Even Pope Francis who is noted for his comments about providing for the least of these has also blessed Biya's dictatorship even if he is yet to go to Cameroon.

However, one of the leading critics of this monstrous regime is also a Roman Catholic - Cardinal Christian Tumi. He has seized every opportunity to condemn the machinations of this monstrosity but one wonders if his voice is making any difference given that the hierarchy in the Vatican is in cahoots with the junta.