By Ireneaus Chongwain Chia
His Grace Mgr. Samuel Kléda was born in 1959 in Golompwy in the Doukoula District of Mayo-Danay Division in the Far North Region. After his primary education in his native village, he pursued secondary education in College Mazénod in Ngaoundéré.
He subsequently entered the Major Seminary in Nkolbisson for his priestly formation where he studied Philosophy before moving to “Collegio Urbano” in Rome where he did his studies in Theology.
Mgr. Samuel Kleda was later ordained priest on March 9, 1986 in Golompwy which is under the Diocese of Yagoua. He was thereafter appointed Chaplain of Government School Kaéle and also as Parish Vicar between 1986 and 1988.
He was given greater responsibilities between 1988 and 1994 when he served as Rector of Guider St. Paul Minor Seminary. Between 1994 and 1998, he studied in Rome in the Pontifical Bible Institute where he obtained a degree in the Holy Scriptures.
When he returned to Cameroon, he was a permanent lecturer at St. Augustine Major Seminary, Maroua. Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Batouri on October 23, 2000, to replace Mgr. Roger Pirenne transferred to Bertoua to take over from the ailing Mgr. Van Haygen.
His consecration took place on February 18, 2001 with Christian Cardinal Tumi as the Principal Consecrator. The other Co-consecrators included Mgr. Roger Pirenne and Archbishop Felix Del Blanco Prieto, then Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon. He was the third Bishop of Batouri Diocese which was initially attached to Bertoua Diocese.
On November 3, 2007, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Mgr. Samuel Kléda as Co-adjutor Archbishop of the Diocese of Douala, with right of succession. On January 12, 2008, the Christian Faithful in Douala officially received him as their Co-adjutor Archbishop.He became Archbishop of Douala on November 17, 2009, when the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Christian Cardinal Tumi’s renunciation of the pastoral governance of Douala Archdiocese.
His Grace, Samuel Kléda is the Vice President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon. He is also the President of the sub-commission for Religious Life and the President of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon.
Mgr. Samuel Kleda hails from the Far North Region of Cameroon and is of the Topouri Clan. He speaks and writes French, English, Italian and German.
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