The aim of the Pauline Year
2. According to the wish of the Holy Father, this year will be " the occasion to :
" Rediscover the person of St Paul, his life, his activity and his many missionary journeys, especially as recounted by St Luke in the Acts of the Apostles;
" Read again his many letters to the first Christian communities;
" Relive the early years of our Church;
" Deepen our understanding of the riches of his teachings addressed to the Gentiles and meditate on the vigorous spirituality of his faith, his hope and his charity;
" Revitalise our faith and our role in the Church of today, in the light of his teachings;
" Pray and work for the unity of the Church, 'the Mystical Body of Christ'"
The Theme of the celebration of the Pauline Year
3. In communion with the universal Church, the Christians of Cameroon welcome this initiative with joy and thanksgiving to God. In order that our Christian life may be revived and our missionary zeal may be enkindled, we, the Bishops of Cameroon, invite our faithful and all persons of goodwill to make this orientation our own, by basing our meditations, our reflections and our actions on the following theme:
" Called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus" (1Cor 1:1), Vocation and Mission of St Paul in the context of the Church which is in Cameroon
This vision has a biblical foundation in the account of the conversion of St Paul in Acts 9:1-25 and in parallel texts ( cf. Acts 22:5-16; 26:9-18). In this text, Luke puts Paul face to face with the different personages of Jesus Christ whom he persecuted, encountered, received and announced. This approach can shed light on the manner of being disciples of Christ today in Cameroon.
The difficulties of living the Faith
4. Paul was first of all hostile to the Christian community. At the beginning, a convinced Jew, he could not be part of it. On the contrary, he nursed a fierce hatred for it. After his conversion, Paul the persecutor becomes the persecuted. This situation shows the extent to which the confession of Jesus Christ can make us become the object of persecution. Jesus himself had spoken about the hatred which the world will have for his disciples (cf Jn 17:14). One can think of the so many people throughout the history of the Church who have had to endure all forms of persecution even at the cost of their own lives on account of their faith.
Even if today in Cameroon we enjoy religious liberty, we must not forget that there still exist difficulties which hinder us from practising our faith in serenity. Family pressures, misunderstanding by friends, mockery by neighbours, blackmails of all sorts constitute situations against which Paul, a former ardent persecutor, tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (cf. Rom 8:35-39).
Encounter with Christ and the transformation of the person
5. Paul's conversion continues in the account of his journey. He is on his way to Damascus in order to persecute the Church. His encounter with Christ is going to transform him radically. Dazzled by the appearance of the Risen Lord, he questions the identity of the person whom he has encountered. It teaches us that the radical transformation of the person comes from his intimate encounter with Christ, who assures us that he is among us whenever we are gathered in his name (cf. Mt. 18:20). For Paul, the road to Damascus was the place of the transforming encounter with the Risen Christ. Today we have to find our road to Damascus, that is, our genuine conversion.
The encounter with Ananias and the importance of the others
6. For St Paul, the experience on the road to Damascus seems to be a drama. To say the truth, it had a deep impact on his physical integrity. In falling on the ground, he loses control of himself and in losing his sight, he loses his bearings. The weakness of the human person is brought to light here. One day or another, we are brought to experience our limitations, to discover our inability to orientate ourselves. However, this apparent impasse does not mean fatality. In fact, the difficulty is taken away by the entry into the scene of a new personality: Ananias.
This sequence of events teaches us, first of all, that the obstacles encountered on the path of our lives are not insurmountable. It shows us the way out: the mediation of others, who are instruments of God on our paths. Just as Paul abandoned himself into the hands of Ananias in order to get to his destination, to receive baptism, regain his sight and his energy, so too the Christian of today has to accept to be guided by a brother or a sister in the Christian community, in order to be fully integrated in the life of the Church. We all need a godfather or a godmother to accompany us in our spiritual and human growth. This means that the path which leads to God passes through others.
The Commitment of Paul and missionary action today
7. For Paul, the experience on the way to Damascus does not end with his physical reestablishment. On the contrary, a new way of life is opened to him. The story continues by telling us how Paul immediately embarked on the preaching of the Good News. We can note the contrast between the end and the beginning of the story: at the beginning, Paul wanted to destroy the Christian community, and now life for him is Christ (cf. Phil 1:21). He announces Christ with ardour. The zeal with which he persecuted the Christians is channelled into the preaching of Christ. Our energies must be mobilised for the work of evangelisation, after the example of St Paul, founder of the Christian communities among all the peoples, untiring traveller for the cause of the Gospel right to Rome, the capital of the pagan world where he shed his own blood for the name of Jesus.
8. This missionary drive reached Cameroon through the work of the many evangelizers who, following the example of St Paul came right to us. Let us give thanks to God for the Pallotine Missionaries, the Priests of the Sacred Heart, the Spiritan Missionaries, the Mill Hill Fathers, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the many consecrated persons, the indigenous clergy, and the multitude of catechists. In emphasizing the missionary dimension of our baptism during this Pauline Year, we rekindle the flame inherited from these pioneers of the faith and of missionary work in Cameroon. In the dynamism of the second evangelisation, we underline here the challenge of inculturation of which Paul offers an example in his discourse in Athens (cf. Acts 17:22-34) and that of the presence of the Church in the regions of Cameroon where she is not visibly represented. We pray that young people may give themselves generously to this mission!
Calendar of the Pauline Year
Dear Sons and Daughters in Christ,
9. The Jubilee Year specially consecrated to St Paul will unfold in Cameroon in three major stages:
" First Stage: Opening, on 29 June 2008, Solemnity of the apostles Peter and Paul, in our
" Different dioceses in communion with the Pope.
" Second Stage: During this phase our missionary endeavour will be marked by a particular celebration by the Bishops of Cameroon during their Annual Seminar which will take place in Maroua in January 2009. There will be special manifestations and ecumenical celebrations during the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. These celebrations will end with the celebration of the conversion of Saint Paul on 25 January 2009.
" Third Stage: Closing at the national level in Yaounde during the Plenary Assembly of the Bishops' Conference which will take place from 22 to 28 June 2009. This concluding celebration will be characterised by a National Congress on Saint Paul and a Pontifical Mass during which the resolutions of the Jubilee Year will be read.
10. Throughout the year, we propose the following activities to be carried out at the level of dioceses or ecclesiastical provinces:
" Organisation of parochial or diocesan marches/walks in honour of St. Paul;
" Enthronement in every parish and family of the Bible with emphasis on the letters of Saint Paul;
" Launching of diocesan competitions on the composition of sacred music, sketches, and drama on the life and work of Saint Paul;
" Press publicity on the launching of the Pauline Year, through the preparation of documents for the press, drawing inspiration from this Pastoral Letter and the life and message of Saint Paul;
" Daily reading of the letters of Saint Paul with the aid of the liturgical calendar or any other calendar made for this purpose;
" Judicious exploitation of the Pauline texts proposed especially during the special liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter);
" Prayer for the Year of Saint Paul to be said in all Christian communities;
" Celebration of the Word of God with ecumenical groups based on the letters of Saint Paul;
" Dissemination at the diocesan and parochial levels of the life and message of Saint Paul through the projection of films, video, CD, sketches, theatrical pieces, cultural evenings.
" Composition of religious songs, organisation of concerts on religious music on the life and message of Saint Paul;
" Carrying out of social activities inspired by Pauline spirituality;
" Organisation of parochial, diocesan, and provincial pilgrimages to churches, sacred places, or institutions dedicated to Saint Paul, with the possibility of a national pilgrimage tracing the path of Saint Paul.
Special Indulgences on the occasion of Pilgrimages
11. Pilgrimages imply penance and conversion by opening up to God and to one another. This is why on the occasion of the this Pauline year, the Holy Father has accorded special indulgences to pilgrims to the Basilica of Saint Paul-outside-the Walls or to the many places visited by Saint Paul. The faithful from different local Churches, who have fulfilled the normal conditions (confession, communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff), will gain Plenary Indulgence "if they participate piously at a sacred ceremony or an activity celebrated publicly in honour of the Apostle of the Nations: the days of the solemn opening and the closing of the Pauline year, in all the consecrated places; in other days designated by the local ordinary, in all the places dedicated to Saint Paul and for the use of the faithful in other places determined by the local ordinary." The sick will also be able to gain plenary indulgence under the usual conditions, "provided they unite themselves spiritually with the jubilee celebration in honour of Saint Paul, in offering to God their prayers and their suffering for the unity of Christians"
12. We invoke the assistance of Mary, Queen of the apostles and Patroness of Cameroon. May she intercede for us in order that the Holy Spirit who inspired Saint Paul may arouse in us the same missionary zeal of Saint Paul. May this Pauline Year be for each one of us and for our families a time of grace.
Done in Yaounde on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
On behalf of the Bishops of Cameroon
His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua, Archbishop of Bamenda
President of the Organising Committee for the celebration of the year of Saint Paul
Prayer on the occasion of the Year of Saint Paul, Apostle
We propose this prayer in memory of Saint Paul the Apostle. We recommend that it should be said in our churches and communities for the success of this Pauline Year.
Lord, our God
You have chosen Paul of Tarsus to be an Apostle
That he may make your name know to the nations
From his conversion on the road to Damascus
Saul, baptised Paul, made known the crucified and risen Christ
In and out of season
By his preaching and his letters,
In Jerusalem, Athens, like in Rome,
Until his glorious martyrdom.
In this year of grace, with Saint Paul,
Grant that we may welcome your word communicated in his letters.
Grant that, following his example, we may imitate his zeal
Through Christ, with Christ and only in Christ.
By the light of the Risen Lord,
Illumine our paths
So that we may, through the power of the Holy Spirit
And with the intercession of the Virgin Mary,
Queen of the Apostles and Patroness of Cameroon
Become in the Church and in society
Missionaries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
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