With his current visit to Africa, Pope Francis has already significantly broken with the past even before he makes any formal statements. Since the time of Pope John Paul II, there appeared to have been a tacit understanding that the first port of call when the Pope visits Africa would be the English- and French-speaking country of Cameroon. In both his visits to Africa in 1985 and 1995, Cameroon was the first port of call for Pope John Paul II. When Pope Benedict XVI visited Africa in 2009, his first port of call was Cameroon.
For Pope Francis, however, his first port of call is Kenya, not Cameroon. This is remarkable given that the person who was president in Cameroon at the time both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI visited is still the person in power today. Paul Biya, Cameroon's dictator of 33 years, has been blessed with three papal visits. By making his first stop in Kenya, Pope Francis is breaking with this tradition of blessing dictatorships in Africa thus giving a tacit rebuke to Paul Biya, who is himself a Roman Catholic. Kenya is a budding democracy in Africa and so it is fitting that it should be the Pope's first port of call. We however need to hear a clear rebuke from the pontiff, especially directed at those members of the Roman Catholic Church who are Africa's dictators today. The Roman Catholic Church has been a champion of democracy in many African countries but this remains to be the case in Cameroon where most Roman Catholic bishops are in bed with the 33-year dictatorship of Paul Biya. In both Uganda and Central African Republic we need to hear the Pope's unambiguous condemnation of dictatorial tendencies in Africa.
For Pope Francis, however, his first port of call is Kenya, not Cameroon. This is remarkable given that the person who was president in Cameroon at the time both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI visited is still the person in power today. Paul Biya, Cameroon's dictator of 33 years, has been blessed with three papal visits. By making his first stop in Kenya, Pope Francis is breaking with this tradition of blessing dictatorships in Africa thus giving a tacit rebuke to Paul Biya, who is himself a Roman Catholic. Kenya is a budding democracy in Africa and so it is fitting that it should be the Pope's first port of call. We however need to hear a clear rebuke from the pontiff, especially directed at those members of the Roman Catholic Church who are Africa's dictators today. The Roman Catholic Church has been a champion of democracy in many African countries but this remains to be the case in Cameroon where most Roman Catholic bishops are in bed with the 33-year dictatorship of Paul Biya. In both Uganda and Central African Republic we need to hear the Pope's unambiguous condemnation of dictatorial tendencies in Africa.
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