By Fr. Peter A. Foleng, SD
The second residential Bishop of Kumbo, Mgr George Nkuo, has castigated certain practices among priests within the Kumbo Diocese that he considers incompatible with their calling. While addressing Kumbo diocesan priests, with focus on what he called ‘few thoughts I consider very dear to me,’ he made an inventory of the repeated accusations heaped on priests by many Christians in some parishes within the Kumbo Diocese. If gold should rust, what will happen to silver!
While addressing the priests, the bishop drew their attention to some of the inadmissible practices that some of them regularly indulge in that are considered repulsive by some, if not, a majority of committed Christians.
“--- people are not generous in the Kumbo Diocese because priests drink in bars, eat in hotels or chicken parlours in Kumbo and have a reputation for organising parties in presbyteries for their girls friends,” the bishop pointed out.
From the bishop’s position it could be deduced that many priests are pushed into such practices by some Christians, reason why Bishop Nkuo was quick to stress that, “I told them not to spoil my priests,” before cautioning Christians to “-- give alms to God not to the priests.”
These remarks were definitely no breaking news to many as priestly misconducts are regularly reported in Kumbo. The topic was not in the public arena for the first time as some priests have hitherto been discussing it freely with some of the lay faithful within the Kumbo Diocese. Many people are of the opinion that bars and chicken parlours are places of temptation not only for priests, but for Christians as well.
Without undercutting the pertinence of the accusations brought against them, many priests are of the opinion that it is not only myopic but misleading to believe that bars and chicken parlours are the only temptation venues as priests and the lay faithful interact with each other on a daily basis in shops, markets, banks and other financial institutions, public transport buses and even in church.
Presently more than 90 percent of the presbyterium in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda are indigenous priests. The majority of these priests cherish the sacrifices that the people make on their behalf. Many Christians therefore think that some remedial measures have to be put in place to help priests maintain their dignity and reputation.
While condemning practices that may cause priests to sin, many Christians offer valuable assistance to priests. Mention should be made of women who offer food to priests especially during special feast days like Easter, Big Day Maria and Christmas. If many more families make such gestures, it may assist priests to stay and share together at home. There will be no need for priests to go queuing up in shops or elbowing their way through crowds in market places, since all their nutritional needs will be supplied by local Christians.
Many priests in the Diocese of Kumbo travel to different out stations on hired motor bikes. These are the same bikes that are used for commercial transportation in town and sometimes have to simultaneously carry priests and other passengers, as is fast becoming the practice these days. Since this is becoming a very popular means of transportation, parish communities could work towards providing needy parishes with some motor cycles. In places where the use of cars is easy, the parishes could also work towards purchasing cars for their parishes.
These are some of the things that most priests expect from their communities today. Christians should not just limit their actions to the giving of alms but should go further and assist priests function well in all aspects of their pastoral work. This cannot only be done through various novenas by apostolic groups but by taking up challenging financial responsibilities.
Christians who withhold alms under the pretext that the priests squander the money in bars or organise parties for their girl friends, are not making the situation any better but simply avoiding their Christian responsibilities. The families and countries of early and present day expatriate missionaries contributed and continue to contribute enormously towards evangelisation. This was not because these missionaries were or are all saints but simply because they were and are still aware of the importance of evangelisation.
Priests will truly preserve their dignity when they have enough and appropriate tools to carry out their pastoral duties. The Church has become truly local and her continues success depends on a strong symbiosis between Christians and priests. Without the one, the other cannot exist or exist acceptably and comprehensively. If palliative measures are put in place, priests will surely reflect their Christians as St. Augustine's says in sermon 46:
“Surely if there are good sheep, there are good shepherds too, for good shepherds are made from good sheep.”