POPE'S UPCOMING VISIT TO CAMEROON DRAWS MIXED

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 000224 DEPT FOR AF/C AND DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CM PGOV PREL VT PHUM KIRF SUBJECT: POPE'S UPCOMING VISIT TO CAMEROON DRAWS MIXED REVIEWS ¶1. (U) SUMMARY : Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cameroon March 17-20, for both a state visit and to conduct internal meetings with church officials from around Africa. This visit has met with mixed local press, including some criticism of the trip,s cost and church fundraising efforts. The Pope's visit is expected to draw international media attention to Cameroon - not all of it positive. By contrast, the ongoing visit by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch was given little media coverage or government attention. END SUMMARY. The Visit -------------- ¶2. (U) Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cameroon from March 17-20, the third time a pope has visited Cameroon in twenty-four years (the last visit was by Pope John Paul II in 1995). The visit is in response to invitations issued by both President Biya and the Episcopal Conference. According to the Archbishop of Yaounde, the visit will involve internal meetings with the Episcopal Conference, meetings with GRC government officials, and public masses. The Pope will also meet with representatives of the Muslim Community. ¶3. (U) The Episcopal Conference invited the Pope for a working visit, to prepare for the Episcopal Conference Synod to be held in Rome in October 2009. The theme of the synod is Reconciliation, Justice and Peace on the African continent. The Pope will distribute a working document in preparation of this conference. According to Archbishop of Yaounde Tonye Bakot, Cameroon was chosen because the President had invited the Pope, Cameroon is bilingual, and the country has been peaceful since Independence. Presidents of all fifty-two African Episcopal Conferences have been invited. The Episcopal Conference is organizing the public masses, although details have yet to be announced. In order to accommodate a larger public, the mass will be held at an outdoor soccer stadium rather than at a former airport, which had been used for previous Papal masses. Most Catholics Honored and Eager -------------- ¶4. (U) Reaction from church leaders is very positive. Some are surprised that the Pope chose to return, and most are very pleased, convinced that this visit will motivate Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Archbishop Tonye Bakot feels that the Pope's message of peace and justice are applicable to all Cameroonians, no matter what religious background they have. The Cameroonian public is very proud of this visit, arguing that few developing countries have received three Papal visits in this short period of time. Cameroonian Catholics say they feel truly blessed to have this opportunity. Most feel that this visit will reinforce Catholics' faith and augment the prestige of the Catholic Church. But Not All Are Pleased -------------- ¶5. (U) According to press reports, some Catholics groups in other African countries feel that the Pope should have chosen another country for this visit, as his predecessor visited Cameroon twice. Others reportedly feel that Cameroon is not "the most" Catholic of African countries, so should not have been chosen. (NOTE: Cameroon is 27 percent Catholic, and is religiously diverse and tolerant. END NOTE.) But Seeking Funds -------------- ¶6. (U) Recent press articles criticized Archbishop Tonye Bakot for sending out mass letters to all diplomatic missions and prominent Catholics requesting financial support for the Pope's visit, arguing that the costs for such a state visit should be borne by the State. The Archbishop told Poloff that the church needs the extra funds to cover the organization and administration costs of such an event. (NOTE: The Archdiocese of Yaounde is reportedly in debt, and the Archbishop is known for his fundraising efforts. Last fall, he approached the Ambassador about housing Embassy staff in an apartment the Archdiocese is building near the cathedral downtown; we also received a solicitation letter from the bishops' conference soliciting our support of the visit. END NOTE) After several days of media articles criticizing the Archbishop, he announced that the cost for this upcoming trip will be shared by the Catholic Church and the Cameroonian government. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (U) The Greek Patriarch is currently visiting Cameroon for a multiple-week "pastoral visit". This visit has had relatively little media coverage, probably because this is not a State visit and the Orthodox community is small. The Patriarch is spending much of his time in Northern Cameroon and has not met with high-level GRC officials. This contrasts greatly with the Pope's planned trip. After recent negative media coverage over political appointments in Cameroon, President Nicolas Sarkozy's canceled trip to Cameroon and Canada removing Cameroon as a priority country from its development aid package, President Biya may hope that the Pope,s visit will generate positive international media coverage for him. In preparation, the government has asked the media to refrain from negative coverage during the Pope's visit (which the independent media has criticized and is likely to ignore). The Catholic Church in Cameroon has also asked the media to refrain from negative coverage. The visit will no doubt generate some global media coverage, but in a year when democratic and human rights trends have been backsliding in Cameroon, it is not clear that the world media spotlight will work to the government,s favor. END COMMENT. GARVEY