This weekend, gunmen suspected of being Ambazonia militants kidnapped five priests, a nun and two parishioners in western Cameroon and set their churches on fire.
Church of St. Bamenda Provincial Bishops Conference (BAPEC) said in a statement that Mary in the village of Nchang in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mamfe was “set on fire by unknown gunmen” on Friday night. Declaration It was published on Sunday.
“To our great shock and utter horror, we learned that the St. Petersburg Catholic Church had been burned down. Mary’s abduction by unidentified gunmen in Nchanga and of “five priests, a religious sister and two believers,” she said. It was signed by Archbishop Andrew Nkea, President of the Conference of Bishops of Cameroon.
Mamfe church burned, priests kidnapped https://t.co/iZqCN5bdkp
— Cameroon News Agency (CNA) (@CMRNewsAgency) 17 September 2022
The post reads, “This action is completely unprecedented and no specific reason has been given at this time for this heinous action against God’s house and God’s apostles.”
The bishops also said that since the British crisis in the country began in 2016, “the people have suffered greatly, and the men and women of God have become easy targets for kidnappers, torturers and unscrupulous militants.”
The statement pointed to “a wave of persecution of the church hierarchy” and missionaries, adding that similar attacks also targeted Presbyterian and Baptist churches.
Aloysius Fondong Abangalo, Bishop of Mamfe, described the attack on the church as “disgusting”, adding that the Catholic Church would “never go to Ntrang again”.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack and no ransom has been demanded for the release of the abductees.
Source: Breitbart
