The Pope’s visit to Cameroon on 15 and 16 April 2026 is seen as a powerful sign of peace and a vital moment for the local Church. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Emmanuel Dassi of Bafia described a vibrant and dynamic Church that continues to grow despite violence, highlighting a significant number of priestly vocations and requests for new parishes.
A vibrant Church awaits the Pope’s visit to Cameroon
With 77 priests and 30 seminarians in the Diocese of Bafia, the bishop remains optimistic about the future, although resource constraints make it difficult to reach rural areas where parishioners travel kilometres to attend Mass. Beyond its spiritual mission, the Church plays a vital social role through hospitals and schools, while also addressing cultural challenges like the bride price, which often discourages young people from formal marriage.
Politically, the Church serves as an observer. During last year’s elections, the Bishops’ Conference and the Justice and Peace Commission worked to alert citizens to risks of fraud, despite only receiving accreditation for a third of the country’s polling stations.
Peacebuilding and the Pope’s visit to Cameroon in Bamenda
The Cameroonian clergy remains the only local actor credible to both sides of the Anglophone separatist crisis that began in 2017. This mediation has come at a price, with frequent kidnappings of clergy, including the late Cardinal Tumi. Bishop Dassi believes that the papal journey to Bamenda, the epicentre of the conflict, is a crucial step toward reconciliation.
“This papal visit is a sign of peace. On Thursday 16 April, he will travel to Bamenda (…). Roads that had become impassable due to local armed groups have been reopened. (…) The Pope’s plane will even land at the city’s airport, which had been out of service for years because of the conflict”.
According to the bishop, the facilitation of this visit by separatists and the government’s openness to talks represent a real opportunity for a democratic breakthrough and lasting peace.
