18/03/2009 / CAMEROON
Posted on Flickr by "schlachthausfunf78".
I think, following the Pope's comments, there will be plenty of people
in Africa questioning their allegiance to the
Catholic Church. It would be to wrong to suggest that Cameroonians and
Africans in general have no free will. However, no one can claim that the Pope
doesn't have huge power here and, tragically, as a result of what he has said,
there will be many many more avoidable AIDS deaths.
If Cameroon
is Benedict XVI's first stop, then on Biya's part it was no accident. He did
everything to welcome the Pope into the country. The Cameroonian president
might have been a seminarian [priesthood student], but he's certainly done a
few things that need forgiving. Amongst others, there was the repression of the
riots in 2008 [when people rioted against price hikes and changes to the
constitution, the subsequent repression left 139 dead]. Biya doesn't have a
particularly great relationship with the country's important religious figures
either, especially not Douala -
a massive critic of the regime who is not shy of showing his disrespect for
Biya's politics. It's in the president's interests to get himself redeemed.
Pope’s visit to Cameroon only adding to troubles
Benedict XVI's trip to Africa was hoped to bring the pontiff out of a troublesome spot after various recent controversies put him, and the Catholic Church, in it. Things, however, are not going as planned. Between his public denunciation of condom use and questions over the real reasons why Cameroon's President Paul Biya wanted him there, the Pope will certainly not be redeeming himself in Africa.
Pope Benedict, who decided to make 2009 the "Year of Africa", began his work on the continent in Cameroon, where a quarter of the population is Catholic. A supposedly symbolic trip which was hoped to represent reconciliation and peace, but before even touching ground, the pontiff had managed to cause outrage afresh. He announced on the plane to Yaoundé that the AIDS crisis "cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems". A comment which has infuriated both Europe and Africa. And in Cameroon, it only adds to another controversy. Paul Biya, in power since 1982, is accused of organising the visit in order to serve his own interests.
"In saying what he said the Pope is effectively stating that doctrine is more important than lives"
Steve Jackson is a volunteer for an AIDS association in Cameroon. His blog.
I think, following the Pope's comments, there will be plenty of people
in Africa questioning their allegiance to the
Catholic Church. It would be to wrong to suggest that Cameroonians and
Africans in general have no free will. However, no one can claim that the Pope
doesn't have huge power here and, tragically, as a result of what he has said,
there will be many many more avoidable AIDS deaths.
In one stroke he undid many millions of dollars of work by NGOs, carried out by many thousands of dedicated NGO workers and local volunteers - both Cameroonians and foreigners. It appears that the Catholic doctrine is not to be changed, whatever the circumstances. Abstinence can be a weapon against HIV/AIDS but it's naive to believe that it can be the only tactic. Condoms are essential. In saying what he said the Pope is effectively stating that doctrine is more important than lives."
"[Paul Biya] has certainly done a few things that need forgiving"
Tshitenge Lubabu M. K. is Congolese. He works for the magazine Jeune Afrique (Young Africa).
If Cameroon
is Benedict XVI's first stop, then on Biya's part it was no accident. He did
everything to welcome the Pope into the country. The Cameroonian president
might have been a seminarian [priesthood student], but he's certainly done a
few things that need forgiving. Amongst others, there was the repression of the
riots in 2008 [when people rioted against price hikes and changes to the
constitution, the subsequent repression left 139 dead]. Biya doesn't have a
particularly great relationship with the country's important religious figures
either, especially not Douala -
a massive critic of the regime who is not shy of showing his disrespect for
Biya's politics. It's in the president's interests to get himself redeemed.
If he got Benedict to come by offering to pay for his plane ticket [according to this site the president and the church went halves on the cost] it's because the Pope is an authority that everyone bows down to; for Catholics, atheists and Muslims, the gesture serves as proof that the Vatican supports the president's politics. And what better blessing to have when Biya is standing for another term in 2011!"
Benedict's arrival in Yaoundé
Posted on YouTube by "MboaBLOG".
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Comments
RE: Steve's Article.
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 20/03/2009 - 13:58.No Steve, Ratzinger is in no way stating that doctrine is more important than lives; your affirmation cannot be further from the truth! In saying what he said, the Pope STRENGTHENS the allegiance of many to the Catholic Church but the point is, they make less noise; I think that is their greatest fault. Catholics, I mean "real Catholics" (not the fake who put on the ‘garb’ and flaunt the name just for political reasons and to get “aid” from you know where…) and many wo/men of goodwill, will keep seeing in the person of the “Pope”, a RAY OF HOPE for this world of ours being driven towards the cliff and to the normalisation of so many horrible things that years back one would have thought impossible.
You seem to misrepresent what the Pope said; at no time did he ever say “…Cameroonians and Africans in general have no free will.” I have read a number of his writtings (I recommend you read some) and can affirm he is a true humanist. There will be many more avoidable deaths if human beings change their harmful lifestyles, not if they keep believing the myth that the condom if full proof against HIV AIDS; science has demonstrated it over and over again that the virus does penetrate the condom!
There are many dedicated institutions (many that are run by the Catholic Church: a proof that your: “the Pope is effectively stating that doctrine is more important than lives” is not as accurate as you may want it to seem) that have fought and still fight against HIV AIDS and who currently, are selfless care givers to so many fellow human beings who are infected with the deadly virus. Of course abstinence and changing harmful lifestyles brought on by an unconditional trust in the condom, will go a long way to curb the menace of HIV AIDS, not condoms. It has been over 45 years since the promoting and insisting that the condom is the solution to HIV AIDS but the truth that we are confronted with is: It has failed to work the magic. Don’t you think it is high time we had some CHANGE?
Unregistered user
Pope Speech
Submitted by Unregistered userjoseph walker (not verified) on Thu, 19/03/2009 - 10:53.Well ,it is expected whatever the pope says will cause an outcry,the principles of satan, sex, money,greed,moral decadence, control the western entertainment and media and society,his ,ie satan disciples ,will naturally condemn the pope.aided and abetted by western goverments,all in thier devious intepretations on the definetion of democracy.
Unregistered user
The Catholic Church...
Submitted by Andresito (not verified) on Fri, 17/04/2009 - 17:39.The Catholic Church past support for Hitler, Franco and Mussolini make the institution morally bankrupt. During the Holocaust against Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, captured Russian soldiers etc. Catholic priests heard confessions from German Catholic officers of the atrocities in the concentration camps. The priests reported to the Vatican and the Holy See didn't choose to tell the world of the most horrible crime in human history to the world! They could of saved millions!
Unregistered user