Archbishop Nkea: ‘The way is the way of peace’

A relationship born during the Synod of Bishops is developing into a lasting partnership between the Archdioceses of Port of Spain and Bamenda, Cameroon.

Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda, who recently made his first visit to Trinidad and Tobago, described the emerging partnership as “a synodal relationship”—not simply because it began at the Synod, but because it is rooted in mutual sharing.

During an interview with ALTOS, Archbishop Nkea Fuanya explained that he and Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon met at the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023–2024 and continued communicating about their pastoral experiences.

“Since then, we kept up communication, sharing our experiences and pastoral life in our dioceses,” he said.

The relationship has already led to two priests and two seminarians from Bamenda coming to the Archdiocese of Port of Spain. Archbishop Nkea Fuanya said part of the purpose of his visit was to see how they were adjusting.

“I see them happy. I see the seminarians also very happy and very well integrated with the communities, and that makes me feel very much at ease.”

A synodal partnership

The two archdioceses have exchanged pastoral plans and are exploring how each Church can learn from the other.

“A big life of sharing has grown between the Archdiocese of Port of Spain and the Archdiocese of Bamenda,” Archbishop Nkea Fuanya said. “A relationship that begins like this and then involves priests and seminarians is not a relationship that you expect to end soon.”

He hopes the partnership will continue growing and benefit both local Churches for many years.

Archbishop Nkea Fuanya also reflected on the strength of the Church in Cameroon. He attributed much of its growth to the sacrifices of early missionaries, who established schools and made education an important avenue of evangelisation.

Today, his archdiocese operates 28 secondary schools and approximately 130 primary and nursery schools. Catholic education, he explained, seeks to form both the intellect and the conscience.

“People trust us and they bring their children to us…because they believe that we are not only giving their children intellectual knowledge but also giving them a moral stand.”

That trust brings an enormous responsibility. The Archbishop acknowledged, however, that many people associated with corruption and poor governance were themselves educated in Catholic schools.

“It makes us reflect on where did we go wrong,” he admitted. Schools must continue doing their best to form moral consciences, while recognising that many other influences shape a person after leaving the classroom.

Communities that nurture vocations

Small Christian communities have also contributed significantly to the vitality of the Church in Bamenda. Sometimes described as “the Church in the neighbourhood”, these groups ensure that parishioners know and support one another.

“There’s nobody who goes to church and leaves the church without knowing anybody,” he said. “The community is really a community.”

This structure has also helped Cameroon experience strong growth in vocations to the priesthood and Religious life. Each parish has a vocations commission and vocation clubs through which young people learn about different forms of Christian service.

Archbishop Nkea suggested that parishes in Trinidad and Tobago could pilot similar initiatives. “The trick is simple: create vocations commissions in the parish,” he said. “In that way, the vocation is a product of the community.”

Family life, however, remains indispensable. When families pray and practise their faith together, he said, they nurture vocations—sometimes without realising it.

“When you see a boom of vocations, know that it’s an indication of the solid family lives that are being lived within the parishes.”

‘Sit down and talk’

The Archbishop spoke movingly about the conflict that has affected Cameroon’s English-speaking regions for approximately a decade. Thousands have died, children have been prevented from attending school, businesses have closed and homes have been destroyed.

Against that background, Pope Leo XIV’s April 2026 visit to Cameroon brought what he described as an immeasurable gift of consolation. The Pope travelled to Bamenda on April 16 for a meeting for peace and a Mass at the Bamenda Airport. The Holy See recorded representatives of different religious and traditional communities gathering with him in the cathedral. For the first time during the conflict, the Archbishop said, separatist leaders called a ceasefire to facilitate the papal visit.

“The fact that the Holy Father came when the war had not stopped—He came to visit us in our difficult condition,” he said. “He prayed for us, he blessed us, assured us in our faith and confirmed us in our faith.”

The cathedral gathering included Catholics, other Christians, Muslims, traditional rulers and adherents of traditional religions. “Our one common denominator was peace,” he said.

The experience was deeply personal for Archbishop Nkea Fuanya, who had sat at the same table as the then Cardinal Robert Prevost during the Synod. Hosting him as Pope in Bamenda—and welcoming him to his residence for lunch and rest—felt like “experiencing heaven on earth”.

The Church in Cameroon continues to meet government representatives, separatist fighters and leaders abroad, seeking to create the conditions for dialogue. Although the Church must address injustice, the Archbishop insisted that violence cannot produce justice.

“You can vindicate your rights, you can fight for justice, but let there be peace. You don’t get justice by killing each other.”

The Church, he said, has often been like “John the Baptist crying alone in the wilderness”, striving to remain neutral while consistently advocating inclusive dialogue without preconditions. “Sit down and talk,” he urged. “There is no way the gun will ever solve any problem.”

In his message to the people of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Archbishop Nkea Fuanya appealed for unity, deeper faith and interreligious friendship.

“Nobody should ever deceive them that war can make things better for them,” he said. “Interreligious dialogue, loving one another irrespective of religion, can only make life better.”

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