His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI,

a.k.a. (or formerly k.a.) Joseph Alois Ratzinger

It would be a party so big that it brought together every high-level official of the country: the President and all the ministers -- party people who spend the better part of a year living the African dream in Europe and the Middle East. By attending this one, they surely thought they would be doing something more meaningful and constructive than going to the ones they host for themselves.

J.A.R., the party.. and its by-product
It's been 14 years since the last time a Pope came to Cameroon. Pope John Paul II was here in 1985 and 1995, and can be found on wall paintings at schools that he visited. Now it was time for the new airport and again for the country and its people to be blessed, and to hold a Mass for tens of thousands, and many more who would follow it on national television. Kamerun im Papstfieber! People here had waited an unusually long time for a spiritual experience of this calibre, hence the extra high level of excitement given the latest Benedict's visit. Hundreds of thousands dressed up festively and waited for hours at the airport, in the city and along the street that connects the two so they could welcome the Pope. This was to be a joy for non-Catholics, too: 3 more days off work for everyone and a big clean-up campaign prior to his arrival resulting in cleaner roads, the installation of a few more traffic lights and road signs, repainted walls and buildings, and generally, the removal of unsightly things. What's there not to like?

For starters, some of my colleague's Muslim friends, who live near the stadium where the big Mass would be held, were forced out of their homes for 4 days.. because of their faith? No one knows. No compensation, apology, or explanation necessary, of course. As part of the clean-up campaign, countless stands have had to make way permanently. Unsightly things. These are ubiquitous little stands on the streets and in markets that sell snacks, clothing, DVD players, tableware, medicine, the lot; if anything, they are what makes Yaounde a bustling city. (There aren't all that many shops here.) Policemen and anti-riot vehicles came unannounced to drive them away in some areas, most of which the Pope didn't plan to visit, I'm sure. It's very nice to have more space for pedestrians and to be able to see these shops that were previously hidden from sight, but the ill-advised handling of the situation has suddenly left a pretty large group of young people pretty angry, with nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. I, as a foreigner and being new and all, think that's alarming. Also, the majority of them are Muslims from the North, and 'tribal tensions' as a phrase alone already sounds scary.

But who would have thought that, of all things, the visit of a Pope would be detrimental to business? For two weeks, government departments had put aside daily work, pointing towards the imminent arrival of the Pope, as if these officials' time was dedicated to the preparation for it. Payments by the Ministry of Finance were also suspended/delayed by several weeks. Contractual obligation? Sure, yes. Then, if you must and if you are crazy enough, go ahead and find a lawyer -- and know that doing so is asking for trouble. Blocked roads, lazier-than-usual government workers, payment issues, no fun.

Rumor had it that the ministry was out of money, spending all that was available on the clean-up campaign and other preparations. It's also rumored that an undisclosed amount would be -what's the right word here- donated(?) to the Vatican. One day, two trucks were seen leaving the ministry filled with notes. What they were for, insider gossip provided no clues. Meanwhile, I personally see this event as a good opportunity for some of the big players to 'enhance their income'. Now, blaming everything on the Pope would clearly be irrational, but there's a correlation there -- one which reveals an inconvenient truth: that money is always an issue.

J.A.R. and Africa
The Pope was expected to press the President to curb corruption. He didn't do this very openly, because, apart from being the right thing to do, that would have been too ridiculous. The Vatican demanding more transparency? Behind closed doors, that is mere hypocrisy; in public, a confrontation would be an outright joke. Of course, the people in question wouldn't get the joke. They couldn't imagine life without corruption, either. Besides, they're not compelled to listen. How many politicians who are very public about their faith do not just take the elements that they like (votes; 'moral' high ground) and leave the ones that they don't like (inconsistency with their agendas)?

The HIV/AIDS issue was addressed by condemning condom use. Not helpful at all. But it's a relief to read that, even within the Roman Catholic Church, many do not agree with him on this one. The glory days are over, persuasion is more difficult than force. Maybe it needs repackaging. Maybe it can learn something from American Evangelicals! Oh God, what am I saying.

In vying for new members and their sanity, the Catholic Church faces tough competition from other churches and religions, and that something which many Chinese will jokingly say they worship: Money. However, membership is growing rapidly here in Africa, faster than anywhere else. To be fair, it is hard to compete with that, given Africa's population explosion; but above all, the Pope came to embrace his fellow Catholics and Africa as a whole, and possibly help to make it more popular. I remember how unspectacular it was to me even when he first returned to Germany as the new Pope in 2005. Tropical Papstfieber, in contrast: much more intense and widespread, and more interesting to observe. It looked like very effective PR, PR that came at a price and I had to pay for, as well.



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If you are offended in any way by my writing, for example, because religion is a sensitive subject.. or because you are the President of Cameroon, I apologize. Let me know, so that we can reconcile.