Father, watch your waistline!

By Martin Jumbam

Recently, a spate of sudden deaths has hit the Catholic clergy, particularly, but not exclusively, in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, which comprises the Archdiocese of Bamenda and the Dioceses of Buea, Mamfe and Kumbo, in English-speaking Cameroon. Such sudden deaths have naturally led to much speculation, from the most trivial to the most fanciful. While the phenomenon of sudden deaths, now known in certain parts of Cameroon as “collapse”, is not limited to the clergy, it has become sufficiently frequent among these workers in God’s vineyard to warrant a few reflections on my part, as an active lay faithful.