Cameroon: bishop was killed for opposing gay clerics, priest charges
August 07, 2017
Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, Cameroon, was murdered because he opposed homosexuals in the clergy, according to a leading priest in his diocese.
At a memorial Mass for the deceased prelate, Msgr. Joseph Akonga Essomba charged that powerful individuals had arranged Bishop Bala’s death; he hinted that politicians were in league with homosexual priests. Gesturing toward government officials who were in attendance at the memorial service, he denounced “all those people in black suits and black spectacles... pretending to sympathize.” He added: “These are the people who killed out bishop, because he said No to the homosexuality perpetrated by those priests.”
The Catholic bishops of Cameroon have charged that Bishop Bala was tortured and murdered. A police investigation produced a report—backed by an independent autopsy—that the bishop died by drowning. Archbishop Samuel Kleda Doula, the president of the country’s episcopal conference, has rejected the autopsy report, insisting the the bishop’s body showed clear signs of torture.
Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo said: “He was killed because he stood for the truth.”
Media outlets in Cameroon reported that masked men visited the home of Msgr. Akonga Essomba in the evening after he delivered his fiery homily. The priest, who was not at home that evening, dismissed rumors that there had been an attempt on his life.
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Further information:
- Cleric alleges Cameroon bishop killed for resisting gay priests (Crux)
- Cameroon bishops demand further inquiry into bishop’s death (CWN, 7/21)
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Aug. 11, 2017 6:35 PM ET USA
In response to Mario, I said "adaptation of the...Einstein relativity paradigms to societies." The Einstein relativity paradigm postulates no preferred or absolute frame of reference. I was not speaking about either special or general relativity theory, but about the _adaptation to society_ of the paradigm of no absolute frame of reference. Popular terms refer to this social paradigm as "moral relativism" or "situational ethics." VS n.75 classes it as proportionalism and consequentialism.
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Posted by: Bveritas2322 -
Aug. 08, 2017 5:13 PM ET USA
I'll comment on the prior two. It is always tempting to look for a new phenomenon to explain current history, but this isn't necessary to explain evil. Sin is sin. It is always the same, and the way we lie to ourselves about not having sinned is always the same in all cultures in all times. Liberal theologians have always practiced relativism to pretend our sins are not sins. There are degrees of culpability--we have no right to judge souls that do wrong--but objective moral truth never changes.
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Posted by: mario.f.leblanc5598 -
Aug. 08, 2017 11:03 AM ET USA
You have some sound ideas about the sad state of our world Randal, but the phrase "Einstein relativity paradigm" is just meaningless pseudo-science in the context of your comment. Einstein relativity is about the invariance of velocity of light in a vacuum, and other beautiful physical phenomena that are part of our universe as created by God.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Aug. 07, 2017 2:16 PM ET USA
For years we thought that the impending civil wars in pluralistic societies would be fought over abortion. But now it seems that the fight will be over mental illness and religious truth. Sexualism has replaced environmentalism as the most recent leftist cause. But in reality sexualism is only a symptom of the war begun by adaptation of the Darwinian evolution and Einstein relativity paradigms to societies. Eugenics, sexual rebellion against truth, etc stem from denial of an absolute Creator God
