By Lambert Mbom
Another January 26 is upon us. It is the 16th since the passing into eternity of the first Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. We continue to celebrate the life of its great Shepherd, Paul Mbiybe Verdzekov. For 36 years, he served as Bishop and Archbishop of Bamenda. There are many things to be celebrated of this great Bishop who truly incarnated the spirit of the words of the Prophet Jeremiah: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart (Jer.3:15). Archbishop Verdzekov was truly a shepherd after God’s heart.”
Every year on this anniversary, it is worthwhile to highlight and to celebrate one aspect of the legacy, a rich, very rich and enriching legacy, he left. He chose as his episcopal motto: “And the Truth shall set you free.” (Jn 8:32). If there is any one value that so aptly defines this servant of God, it is truth. During this age that has been defined as a post truth age, Verdzekov stands tall.
I spent seven years as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Bamenda under His Grace Verdzekov, a privilege I am eternally grateful for and with hindsight I could dare go on that limb to say I walked with a saint. I experienced or rather savored that external aura of awe wont of saintly people. I continue to search for what he could possibly be a patron saint of.
Given the current dynamics of Cameroon, the political puzzle it has become, I look back at the episcopacy of Paul Verdzekov and wonder what lessons we can draw from there. Many would be quick and rightly so, to point to his boldness and courage especially during the 1992 post presidential elections crisis. Verdzekov’’s neighbor, so to speak, Ni John Fru Ndi claimed victory at the Presidential elections and Bamenda was under siege in a state of emergency. Archbishop Verdzekov”s trenchant sermons within the hallowed walls of the jam packed St Joseph Metropolitan Cathedral reverberated through the world. The truth echoed from the Cathedral and even through bandwidths of radio waves over the BBC and other outlets.
One wonders what Archbishop Paul Verdzekov would have said and done during the last 2025 Presidential elections? Many hunger and thirst for the prophetic voice like Archbishop Verdzekov’s proclaiming the truth without fear or favor. There is a lot to parse about that political epoch and the appetite of the nation swept with and by the rising tides of the Social Democratic Front. Bamenda had a politician with gut and clout, backed by the power of the people couched in the slogan power to the people and a Bishop at the service of the truth with the Gospel as his armor and the social teachings of the Church as the bows in his quiver. While this is impressive and makes for a good research topic, the truth is times have changed and changed for the worse. It is not lost on me that the coincidence of Verdzekov passing into eternity on the day the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Titus and Timothy, St Paul’s disciples as it were, is beyond mere coincidence. Verdzekov fulfilled Paul’s admonition to Timothy, that classical text on preaching the Gospel where he says: “Preach the Gospel in season and out of season.” Archbishop Verdzekov proclaimed God’s word persistently, convenient or inconvenient; convincingly, reprimanding and encouragingly (2 Tim 4:2).
I would however contend that this paled in comparison to his creation and establishment of the Association of Catholic Professionals. It had the Catholic political elite among others as members under the distinguished patronage of the retired Nicholas Ade Ngwa, erstwhile civil administrator as its Chair. It is I dare say from this stock that we had a certain Anthony Ninying of happy memory and stalwart Alumnus of St Bede’s College, who gave one of the most eloquent talks a layperson ever gave during my years in the seminary. Am thinking of the esteemed cadres who were members spanning a wide professional spectrum such as distinguished legal luminary Barrister Luke Sendze, renown educationists like Dr Anthony Ndi, Nsanda Eba (RIP), financial experts like Cyrille Ebu to name but these. It was not just a think-tank or an advisory body or even the proverbial talk shop but a group of professional lay persons with deep professional expertise and contacts. They brainstormed and had spiritual directors like Msgr John Ambe, Msgr Clemens Ndze, (RIP), and Fr Ignatius Waindim among others. Here in a group of dedicated lay people who are experienced experts. The mission and vision of this group beyond being noble and practical was salutary and relevant.
The Church has prioritized formation of the clergy and now grapples with an informed but un-formed laity. Of all things, the Church presumed or rather took for granted the political formation of the laity. The disaster is obvious. A catechized laity with rudiments of the faith it has found almost impossible to translate credal formulae into civic responsibility. The political zombies in Cameroon bear the trademark of the Catholic Church. If there is any time the Catholic Church in Cameroon in general and the Archdiocese of Bamenda needs such an association, it is now. It would have as its agenda or rather curriculum the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. The vision Verdzekov had to have created or accepted the formation of an apostolate so to speak of Catholic Professionals is worth applauding, celebrating and in fact reviving. I wonder what Paul Verdzekov would have told Atanga Nji, the Minister of Territorial Administration, for example. Think of the conversations he had with his teacher, Dr Bernard Fonlon. Nobody can pretend that this would have been the panacea to the political woes of the country. Yet, there is a need for a new ethos, a new breed of politicians and political education through such a group is a must.
The conscientisation of the people through an association like this is needed as soon as yesterday. It is the absence of such bodies within the laity whose primary task to be salt and light within the political sphere has invited the wrath of some critics against the Bishops. Such a group would have helped digest and disseminate the many letters of the Bishops on political and social issues for example. There is some political capital then to credit Archbishop Verdzekov for his discernment in forming such an association that would have been an immense treasure within the political space in the Archdiocese of Bamenda today. Whatever happened to that group has left a gaping hole in which many are being buried.
The political chokehold call it logjam the country finds itself in is the fruit of complacency, greed and ignorance. No, Cameroonians are not cursed. The mismatch between the exuberant religious fervor and an absent corresponding witness in the public square, in this sense the political sphere is a grave cause of concern. Nobody can dispute the incredible role the Church has played in formal education and even through its social services. Yet, perhaps, just perhaps it is time to up the ante and step up its game. The fact that the shepherds blame the sheep for not playing their part while the sheep blame the shepherds for abandoning them to marauding wolves is plainly indicative of an urgent need. Verdzekov saw this coming! It is time to return to the drawing board. His legacy of the Association of Catholic Professionals deserves propping up.
If anything, the Justice and Peace Commission of the diocese must take up this apostolate of Catholic Professionals and drive the conscientisation and empowerment of the lay faithful. Verdzekov saw this and laid the seed. The creation of a “Verdzekov Catholic Professionals Group” in every parish would be one way of celebrating the life of this great Shepherd and empowering Christ’s lay faithful to political freedom.