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On December 31st following the vote counts of the short listed candidates for the prestigious Cameroon Concord Man of the Year Award, Cameroon Concord Team in Europe announced Emeritus Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge, pioneer Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mamfe as winner. CamCord US Bureau chief takes an introspective profile and in-depth analysis of the Retired Bishop. Looking at a transforming life and legacy of Bishop Lysinge from the period as a seminarian leading to its ordination as Priest and nominated by Pope John Paul II as the pioneer Bishop of Mamfe put together is the miraculous workings of God to a living Saint passing from great to greatness.
Born on December 28th 1938 in Bokwango-Buea from a protestant family as Godwill Lysinge Teke and later changed to Francis Teke Lysinge was the first Bakweri ordained Priest in April 17, 1966 by His Lordship Bishop Julius Peteer together with the outspoken Cardinal Christian Tumi. The genesis of its priestly formation started in St. Joseph College Sasse [first catholic secondary school] where the Holy Family Junior seminary was opened and attached to Sasse College at the time [1953-1958]. In 1960-1966 Bishop Lysinge enrolled at the Brigard Memorial Seminary Enugu and studied Philosophy and Theology. He returned to Buea and was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood an epochal ceremony described by the then Cameroon Information Bulletin as “rare and unforgettable” as the ordination recorded in attendance the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, John Ngu Foncha, Prime Minister of West Cameroon Augustine Ngom Jua, Leader of the West Cameroon Legislature Dr. E.M.L Endeley and other top dignitaries.
After his ordination as Priest his first Pastoral work took him to Mamfe to become the first historic black Priest for the population and the Catholic faithful in Mamfe from January 1966 to April 1967. From Mamfe, he further worked in the following areas Mankon, Sacred Heart Parish Fiango as Curate, Akwaya before going to Rome for further studies in Spiritual Theology. When he returned from Rome he was immediately sent to St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Bambui as Spiritual Director from 1975-1979 and from 1990-1999 respectively.
On February 22, 1999, as a historical coincidence, the Apostolic Nuncio Mgr, Felix Del Blanco announced the creation of the Diocese of Mamfe, and its first residential Bishop Mgr. Francis Teke Lysinge who was the first black Priest to have worked in Mamfe. On Wednesday, April 21, 1999, all roads were leading to Mamfe for the Episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect. Fourteen other Bishops including one from Nigeria, personal representative of the Head of State, Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, the then Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic with over 20.000 faithful and onlookers who had come to witness the event.
After 14 years as Bishop with a nick name “The Peoples Bishop” who officially met his Christians every Friday at the Cathedral for counselling, Prayers and Confessions, the Diocese of Mamfe had witnessed a spiral and unprecedented transformation in the clergy, Catholic population, Parishes & Deaneries, Quasi-parishes, Education, Health, Communication and infrastructure. His administrative and pro-developmental prowess have left an infrastructural-landmark in the Diocese of Mamfe exceptional in Cameroon.
Described by the Bishop of the Diocese of Essen-Germany, his Lordshop Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck as a “Man of God”, Bishop Lysinge retired from his exalted position after reaching the canonical age[75] for the retirement of bishops speaks of an uncommon humility and true leadership not only in the spiritual world but equally in the secular. A prelate widely believed to be simple with a magnanimous disposition, promoter of justice, champion for the poor and inspiration to many who met him is a man of demonstrable spirituality, strong moral stamina after carrying this great responsibility for 14 years as Bishop and 47 years as a Priest. Bishop Lysinge thinks that he deserves some rest from active pastoral mission.
For a Bishop who has no bank accounts, never bought a pair of shoes or trousers but lived on the good will of Christians state that the Ministry of a Bishop is not measured in terms of achievements or successes but is understood only in the language of faith, hope and love. Steadfast in faith, inspired by hope and motivated by love, Bishop Lysinge employed personal charisma to an evangelising message that transformed Mamfe Diocese bringing mercy to faithful and non-believers. Bishop Lysinge read the signs that after 51 years in the service of the Lord, he is entitled to a well-deserved rest from active episcopalism. This personifies the leader Cameroon, Africa and the world needs.
Congratulations my Lord for winning Cameroon Concord Man Of the Year 2014 Award. May the good God continue to bless and guide you in all your endeavours as you continue to be a role model for Christians and clergy.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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The Holy See has released a radical feminist activist who bared her breasts in St Peter's Square on Christmas Day and snatched the statue of Baby Jesus from the Vatican's outdoor Nativity scene. The Holy See prosecutor met Yana Zhdanova and decided to order her release, according to Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi.
The Ukrainian protester was also ordered to never enter Vatican City State, including St Peter's Basilica, or other Vatican property outside the city-state's walls. The Femen protester shouted "God is woman" when she uncovered her chest in the square, about an hour after Pope Francis had greeted and blessed tens of thousands of faithful. A Vatican guard covered her chest with his cloak and took her into Vatican custody.
Culled from Press Association
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The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has called for “tenderness” and spiritual “warmth” to solve world’s current crises during his Christmas Eve mass in the Vatican. "Do we have the courage to welcome with tenderness the difficulties and problems of those who are near to us?" the pope asked in Saint Peter's Basilica, filled with some 5,000 worshippers on Wednesday. "Or do we prefer impersonal solutions, perhaps effective but devoid of the warmth of the Gospel? How much the world needs tenderness today!" he said.
The 78-year-old pontiff also told worshippers to have greater empathy toward family and friends. Meanwhile, thousands of worshippers poured into the West Bank city of Bethlehem for Christmas ceremonies. The worshippers held a mass ceremony at the Church of Nativity, which is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The Bethlehem ceremonies come amid Israel’s severe restrictions on Christians from the Gaza Strip. Thousands of pilgrims earlier crowded into Manger Square to watch a procession led by Patriarch Fouad Twal.
Patriarch Twal, the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, said he hoped 2015 would be "better than this difficult year." "I hope next year there will be no separation wall and I hope we will have bridges of peace instead," he added. "Peace comes from justice and we have a cause which we hope will be solved soon." He called on Jews, Muslims and Christians to "live together as equals with mutual respect."
Culled from Presstv
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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Nigerian preacher TB Joshua is flying the families of the victims of his church's collapse to Lagos to spend Christmas and the new year with him, the Synagogue Church of All Nations said.
The self proclamed prophet has invited the families of the deceased to come and spend time out there at the synagogue with the other church members for Christmas and very importantly... the end of the year candlelight services," said church spokesman Kirsten Nematandani.
Forty-four family members who had accepted the offer would fly out on Christmas day and return on January 2. It is believed 85 people from South Africa were among those killed when a multi-storey guesthouse attached to the church collapsed in Lagos on September 12. "The purpose is to spend time with the families. As we know the families are going through a difficult time... this is part of the process the church is undergoing," he said. The church would offer the bereaved families spiritual and emotional support and they would have a chance to interact with Joshua.
He would fund the entire trip including all transport, accommodation, meals and visa applications. Nematandani said Joshua had always been open about the incident and that he would "walk this journey with the families... and continuously support them". Those families who were unable to visit the church because they did not have documentation or already had other plans were invited to come to the church at a later stage, Nematandani said. The families visiting the church would spend their time attending services and programmes run by "evangelists and wise men".
"They will have time to go to the prayer mountain to have quality time as an individual and talking to God." Nematandani expressed condolences on behalf of the church for the families of the 11 victims whose bodies had not yet been returned to South Africa. "[We] want to express messages of sympathy and condolences to those families and hoping that the time will come when those bodies will come home." He said Joshua would not rest until the bodies were sent home.
Members of the church would spend time with those families over the festive period to support them. "The church will be on the ground with them, sending them love and support from TB Joshua, [even though] it could be seen as a black Christmas," he said.
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Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai (AMDG)
As Africans respond to the teaching ministry of Pope Francis in seeking out new economic models for the continent, it might be helpful to situate the teaching of Francis in a wider and broad perspective, in what is now referred to as Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The implication is that the Joy of the Gospel did not fall from the skies! Francis is building on a solid tradition that appears to be the best kept secrets of Roman Catholicism – that is, our Catholic Social Teaching. This approach has the added advantage of preventing what someone recently referred to as “Francis, Filtered,” which has been the attempt by some to give the impression that Francis might not be Catholic enough, or that Francis does not care about the rich tradition of Roman Catholicism! It was the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard that once said that life must be lived forward, but understood backward! So it is with the present magisterium of Francis: building on the Church’s reflection on the question of the economy and yet, making a genuine contribution from is own pastoral and academic formation, and above all, from the assistance giving him by the Holy Spirit as successor of Peter.
The modern phase of CST is traceable to Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 social encyclical, Rerum Novarum. The new social conditions centered on the working conditions of the proletariat in Europe. Leo’s great social encyclical took the form of a critical response to the propositions of the Socialists, divided into three areas: the action of the Church; the action of the state; and the relationship of employers and employees. He defended the right to strike by workers, owing to unjust wages, and the formation of workers unions. He established the idea that the Church has a social doctrine, that there is a body of social principles rooted in Christian tradition and developed through reflection upon the person and society. Subsequent popes and bishop' conferences have built on this tradition begun by Leo XIII, especially on the historical and pastoral tone set forth by Leo.
In 1931, Pope Pius XI wrote Quadragesimo Anno that is, forty years after Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. The social context was that of the Great Depression that had left millions in Europe and America unemployed. Fascism and Communism were becoming growingly attractive. The principle of Subsidiarity is the enduring contribution of Pius’ encyclical: that the state and all other associations exist for the individual. Societies should therefore not assume what individuals can do, nor should larger societies undertake what smaller ones can do. The principle of Subsidiarity was adopted by the European Economic Community. Pope John XXIII Mater et Magistra - May 1961, was written at a time of great social upheaval: the advent of the atomic weapons. It introduced two new ideasinto Catholic Social Teaching: the non-industrialized nations of the world; and the role of the laity in carrying forth the practical applications of the gospel. It reaffirmed the right to private property and offered a measured critique of liberal capitalism. John XXIII’s 1963 Holy Thursday encyclical, Pacem in Terris, was set in the context was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Addressed to “all men and women of good will,” Pacem in Terris inserted Catholicism into the modern quest for justice, peace and freedom, trusting that all would hear its appeal for deterrence and disarmament.
Gaudium et Spes, the 1965 Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, is a work of the Second Vatican Council. The context of Gaudium et Spes is modernity: how do humans understand themselves when faced by a plethora of recent discoveries urbanization, immigration, mass media and secularism? Gaudium et Spes proposes an anthropology that sees the human being as whole and entire, with body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will. It is this human being with a non-material dimension that must rethink the whole question of war and the arms race. Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom – DignitatisHumanae (1965), constituted another milestone in the evolution of Catholic Social Teaching. The historical setting is on church-state relations that followed the revolutionary currents that had been unleashed by the French Revolution. It argued against the privatization of religion, putting forth a theory of freedom for religion that, while not sanctioning state religion, invites the state to make room for religious freedom, lived according to human conscience. Paul VI’s 1967 social encyclical, Populorum Progresso, addressed the question of modern international development. He affirmed the Church’s support for those peoples seeking to overcome hunger, poverty, ignorance, et cetera. Another name for peace became development, with Paul’s encyclical. He asserted that the economy was at the service of human beings.
To mark the eightieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum in 1971, Paul VI issued the apostolic letter, Octogesima Adveniens, in which he argued that ultimate economic decisions are shaped by political power. Paul called for a responsible use of political power. Paul VI challenged communities to analyze, reflect, judge and act on their particular situations. He called on such economic constructive efforts to be founded on the principles of equality and participation. On September 14, 1981, John Paul II, released LaboremExercens. This worker-Pope from Poland wanted to help the Church in forming a spirituality of work that will help people to come closer through work to God, the creator and redeemer. Work is to be considered a subjective dimension of human existence, intrinsic to the human being. By focusing on the spiritual dimension of work and its role in God’s plan LaboremExercens taught the world that the social and economic question of work is likewise a moral and ethical one. John Paul therefore moved Catholic Social Teaching from the relationship of capital and labour to work as a character-forming and spiritual experience.
The 1987 encyclical SollicitudoReiSocialis by John Paul II sought to respond to the thorny reality of failed developmental and economic policies, especially in the developing world. What economic theory can best lift the developing world out of poverty? Outstanding in Sollicitudois its empirical approach to world economy: the value on entrepreneurship; the concern over increasing world protectionism, and the havoc of floating exchange rates. That said, Sollicitudo has been criticized for not taking adequate account of the efficiency of capitalist production of goods and services, reducing the great engine of capitalism simply to the all-consuming desire for profit, a materialist conception of capitalism. Wealth should not be seen as a crime. On the occasion of the centenary of the publication of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, John Paul II wrote CentesimusAnnus, which focused on human freedom and the right ordering of culture, economics, and politics. To the delight of many in the free world, John Paul affirmed the place of the free market, democracy and faith: faith in freedom; faith in the human capacity to order human life properly; and above all, faith in God who created man and woman with intelligence and free will.
Benedict XVI’s 2009 encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, focused on integral human development. The genuine novelty in Caritas in Veritate is the encyclical’s strong emphasis on the life issues (abortion, euthanasia, embryo-destructive stem-cell research) as well as social-justice issues – which Benedict cleverly extends to the discussion of environmental questions, suggesting as he does that people who don’t care much about unborn children are unlikely to make serious contributions to a human ecology that takes care of the natural world. It is within this fabric that we can understand the Joy of the Gospel of Francis, as an added value to the Church’s response to the mores and challenges of the world. The above analysis shows us this process as an accompanying thinking-through process of faith that does justice in the different contexts of the world. What is unique about the Joy of the Gospel?
To be continued!
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The Holy See has taken Vatican to task for administrative red tape with fiery words, saying that Vatican’s administrative apparatus suffers from “spiritual Alzheimer’s” and a number of other “diseases.” On Monday, Pope Francis said the Vatican’s central bureaucracy, the Roman Curia, was suffering from 15 “diseases.” In particular, the pontiff spoke against the “hoarding disease” that sees members of the clergy “amassing material goods, not out of need, but to feel safe.”
The church hierarchy is suffering from “the disease of existential schizophrenia: it is the disease of those living a double life (who) create a parallel world, where they disregard (the rules) that they sternly teach to others and live a life that is secret and often dissolute,” he added. Francis also said some prelates were suffering from “spiritual Alzheimer’s disease,” meaning that they had gradually lost their spirituality, forgotten their connection with God, becoming slaves to “their passions, whims and manias.”
The pope was elected in March 2013 with a mandate to clean up a Catholic Church that had been shaken by Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation and worldwide revelations about pedophile priests. The pontiff has established a series of specialist bodies to tackle corruption and poor management in the Vatican, including the naming of eight cardinals from around the world to advise him on the Curia overhaul.
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