Cameroon. International Forum on Works of Mercy
God’s mercy is always in action!
From 28 to 29 June 2024 the Diocese of Bafia hosted the International Forum on Works of Mercy. Under the presidency of Monsignor Emmanuel Dessi Youfang, bishop of the Diocese of Bafia, this forum was organized by the spazio + spadoni movement, born on 11 September 2011 by Mr Luigi whose mission is to promote generative paths of “mercy and mission”.
For this 2024 edition the theme was works of mercy. After Mr. Luigi’s welcome address, Mgr. Emmanuel provided the leitmotif of this two-day forum. The objective was to go to the school of Jesus to relearn how to be merciful. The questions of this forum, in fact, had already been defined by Pope Francis who, from the first moments of his pontificate, placed mercy at the center of his pastoral action. “Wherever there are Christians, every man must find an oasis of mercy”, says Pope Francis in the Bull of Indiction Misericordia Vultus, n°12. It is therefore an invitation to all the faithful, from the bishop to the last Christian, to carry out works of mercy on a personal or community level.
The first day of the Forum
The first day was characterized by two conferences. Father Alphonse Esseyi, rector of the Nkolbisson Major Seminary, introduced this series of conferences by speaking about the spiritual works of mercy. A presentation that integrated the innovation brought by Pope Francis.
Pope Francis, in fact, brought these works to 8 by adding the protection of the common home. All these spiritual works of mercy are of great interest when they impact daily life. In the evening of our lives, the speaker recalled, we will be judged on love. Being merciful therefore means opening your heart.
After the spiritual works of mercy, we also talked about the corporal works of mercy. This was the theme of the second conference held by Father Pierre-Marie Bekona, parish priest of the parish of Saint Joseph in Ntui. He presented Christ as a model for implementing the works of mercy already perceived at the beginning of his ministry (see Luke 4).
In the face of human misery, the practice of works of mercy is a necessity. Sanctioned by a moment of exchange, these two conferences concluded with a speech by Monsignor Emmanuel, Bishop of Bafia, who praised the active involvement of each participant. The day ended with the screening of films on the works of mercy and with the debate.
The second day of the Forum
The second day opened with a pontifical presided over by Msgr. Emmanuel Dessi Youfang, bishop of Bafia. This was followed by transversal work around four issues that emerged from the conferences. The participants shared these issues together in pastoral settings. The resumption of work at the crossroads allowed each participant to commit themselves to being missionaries of the works of mercy, each in their own family, in their own parish, through Catholic action movements and many other favorable places and moments.
Mr. Luigi once again thanked all the participants and expressed his joy in seeing Cameroon as an oasis of mercy and with the Diocese of Bafia a new story for space + broadswords begins. At the end of this forum, Monsignor Emmanuel put every Christian of Bafia on a mission, remembering that time is no longer that of words but of practice. Despite the constraints and difficulties in implementing the works of mercy, the Bishop recalled the need to practice the works of mercy on the one hand because we are Christians and it is a commandment of Christ; on the other because we ourselves are works of mercy.
By Father Guy Denis Abanda – Cameroon