Interviewed by Aloysius Agendia
Shortly after the new pope was announced to the public, the Coadjutor Archbishop of Bamenda, Mgr Cornelius Fontem Esua, said that the election of the new pope was the work of the Holy Spirit. He however, rejected the argument that the Church has opted for conservatism in voting Cardinal Ratzinger as Supreme Pontiff, and outlined some of the challenges that await the Church under the pastoral care of the new Shepherd. Excerpts:
My Lord, how did the Archdiocese of Bamenda receive the news of the election of the new pope?
We received the news of our new pope with great joy, for the people of God who are in the Archdiocese of Bamenda and the Diocese of Kumbo.
We received the wonderful news with a lot of gratitude to God, who has given us a new pastor during this period that we have been living with a lot of great expectations. You can imagine that it is a great source of relief for the universal Church in general.
Were you surprised by the choice of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger given that speculations were leaning heavily on a pope from Africa or Latin America?
We were surprised in one way or the other. The choice of the pope is a gift from God and the work of the Holy Spirit. So any human reflection, any human thought is certainly out of the question because everything comes from God.
Things are not necessarily done according to human expectations and wishes. God's choice remains God's choice and, as such, always comes as a surprise. On the other hand, I personally think that the choice of Cardinal Ratzinger was a good one because he is the cardinal best suited to assume such a heavy responsibility on behalf of the whole Church.
My Lord, most newspapers claim that the Catholic Church has opted for Conservatism. Do you agree with this view?
I think it is absolutely wrong to think that the Church is opting for conservatism. There's nothing conservative about it at all. People must understand that whether it was Pope John Paul II or the new pope, it is the teachings of the Church, that of the Gospel and the will of God that must be carried out. So, he certainly has to continue with the teachings of the Church and the Doctrine which is not of man, but actually divine. So we cannot talk of the Church being conservative as some people are saying. There are laid down rules and principles through which the Church functions and it is nothing other than divine.
Some people claim that Cardinal Ratzinger was elected because the media had given him a prominent role at the Vatican during the death and funeral events leading to the Conclave. Is that true?
The media has played practically no role in the choice or election of Cardinal Ratzinger as pope. The Apostolic Constitution on the election of a pope clearly spells out the precautions and procedures that the cardinals and the Holy See have to follow, to eliminate all forms of external interference, both ideological and political.
There is no doubt that the cardinals worked according to the Apostolic Constitution. They did not allow themselves to be influenced by media propaganda before or during the election. In other words, they had even made decisions amongst themselves not to make any pronouncements on the issue, under pain of excommunication.
The Papacy is not a political position that people go in for campaigns. It is highly divine and spiritual. During the elections, the cardinal-electors were not allowed any communication whatsoever with the outside world. They had no telephones, radio sets or newspapers.
What actually orientated their choice was certainly the glory of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and the work of the universal Church. I think it is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Why do you think Cardinal Ratzinger chose the name Benedict XVI?
Every pope has the right to choose any name of his liking. We are waiting to hear from the pope himself why he chose that name.
In the history of the Church, we have had a good number of popes who have borne that name and that shows that there are certainly some reasons why he chose that name and he himself is in the best position to explain to the entire world.
If Pope Benedict XVI asks you for proposals on the Church in Cameroon, what will you tell the Holy Father?
I do not think I am in a position to advise the pope. He certainly has a program and I am sure that it is for the entire Church. It is that of proclaiming the Gospel, and uniting the Church (one of the reasons why he is there).
He equally has the duty to unite not only the Catholic Church, but to look forward to the unity of the whole Christendom, of which Cameroon is no exception. The Church equally has social concerns in all regions; which were well carried out by the last pope.
I think it is a program that Benedict XVI will pursue and we are looking forward to the continuation of the program.
What are some of the major challenges that the Church is likely to face under the leadership of Benedict XVI?
As I said before, the Church is concerned with the evangelization of the people. The quest for social justice, helping the poor, the sick and many others are equally some of the preoccupations of the Church. The Church is also concerned about the fact that Christians be instructed to live according to the Gospel. The Church equally has the challenge of uniting Christians in communion, and above all to live as a family of God.
Christians should also be able to live in harmony and peace with people of other faiths or religions. Those are some of the challenges that Pope John Paul II faced and which Benedict XVI will certainly also have to face.
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congrats holy father
Posted by: desmond ndikum | April 20, 2009 at 12:31 PM