Martin Jumbam

How much was Christian Cardinal Tumi Worth?

When it became known that Christian Cardinal Tumi, the Emeritus Archbishop of Douala in Cameroon, had died, some journalists called me for my reaction. Even though many issues came up, one question, in particular, seemed to interest just about all of them: how much was Cardinal Tumi worth? They wanted to know what he had left behind in terms of landed property, houses, vehicles and market stocks.

An arrow in the bow of our Lord.

By Martin Jumbam

 

An address to the graduating pioneer students of John Paul II Institute of Theology (JOPASIT), Kumba Campus at Fiango, Kumba on October 24, 2015.

Your Lordship, Bishop Immanuel Bushu, Bishop of Buea;

Reverend Fathers, Reverend Brothers, Reverend Sisters;

Civil and Religious Authorities, all protocol respected;

Brothers and sisters in the Lord:

I thank Father Herbert Niba, the Director of the John Paul II Institute of Theology of the Diocese of Buea, who asked me to be the guest speaker at the inaugural Mass of this academic year.  I was taken aback by his request and I asked to know why me? His response was that priests had been guest speakers during the past three graduation and inaugural ceremonies and so he thought a member of Christ’s lay-faithful, someone who, in his words, was “immersed in the world as Christ’s feet and hands”, should be given a chance to share his own experiences. I liked the idea of being equated to “Christ’s feet and hands,” so I quickly said, yes, I’ll be with you. And here I am. Me voici, donc à Kumba!

Droppings From The Barnicle: Christian Cardinal Tumi

By Tony Barnicle

Genesis 6.4 talks about “the heroes of old, the men of renown.” The King James Bible calls them “giants.” Every time I read this passage, I think about the time I lived with these giants, builders of a young church and a young nation, Cameroon. One of them is a man I met in 1965. He was a seminarian, home on vacation for the summer. A year later, on April 24, 1966, he celebrated his first Mass in our church, St. Mary’s in the village he grew up in, Kikaikelaki. I had the privilege of making the arrangements for that event. 

Someone robs Cardinal Tumi of his retirement peace.

By Martin Jumbam

If there is one person in this country who had thought he would find peace of mind during his retirement to carefully work on his writings, that person is certainly Christian Cardinal Tumi, the Emeritus Archbishop of Douala. He has been working hard on his second book and says he needs all the peace and quiet he can get to round it up.

The consequences of abortion are devastating.

By Martin Jumbam

The former US President Ronald Reagan once said that he found it strange that all those who are militating for abortion have already been born. They were given a chance to live but are now depriving others of the wonderful gift of life from God Almighty, who creates us all in His own image (Gen 1:27).  Life is sacred from the moment of conception till natural death, and wilfully interrupting human life, even in the mother's womb, can bring untold agony to the woman. 

The Catholic Church in Cameroon and the radio

Martin Jumbam 

In their recent message from the 2^nd Special Assembly of the Synod  of Bishops for Africa, that held in Rome from the 4^th to the 25^th of October 2009, the Synodal Fathers note, with great delight, that there is “a veritable explosion of Catholic radio stations in Africa, from only about 15 in 1994 to over 163 today in 32 nations.” They then strongly urge the Catholic Church in “those nations, which still have reservations in this regard, to review their policies, for the good of their nations and people.”

 

 

I remember Father Paul Verdzekov

By Martin Jumbam

 

“Are we praying to Father Paul, or for Father Paul?” Christian Cardinal Tumi, the Emeritus Archbishop of Douala, wondered as he paid his friend, Father Paul Verdzekov, his last tribute on February 13, 2010. As days blend into weeks, and weeks into months, and soon months into a year since Father Paul Verdzekov, the Emeritus Archbishop of Bamenda, left us unexpectedly, I too wonder with Cardinal Tumi whether to pray to him or for him.

Giving to the Church is a Christian Duty

By Martin Jumbam

A few Sundays ago, Anglophone Christians of the Our Lady of Annunciation Parish in Bonamoussadi, Douala, met to reflect on ways and means of raising funds to renovate their church. I was asked to say a word on “Giving to the Church as a Christian Duty,” and, in a nutshell, this is what I shared with my fellow Christians.

The day Cardinal Tumi was very angry

By Martin Jumbam

Chapter 8 of Christian Cardinal Tumi’s very readable book, The Political Regimes of Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya, and Christian Tumi, Priest, is the shortest of the 9 chapters that constitute this book. It is tugged in just before the conclusion more like an afterthought than as an integral part of what had informed the writer’s original thinking. And he admits it himself that this chapter was inspired by an incident that occurred just as he was rounding up his book. 

How CRTV Covered the Pope's Visit to Cameroon

By Martin Jumbam

A few days before the Holy Father's arrival in Cameroon, I did what I would, under normal circumstances, not do, that is, take the time to listen to CRTV radio or watch its television.

However, since the Pope's visit was an extraordinary event, it called for extraordinary action on my part; and so I found myself sitting in my office one morning listening to a guest speaker on a CRTV morning French program.