Pope Francis appeals for the release of kidnapped Catholics in Cameroon
Cameroon has been embroiled in what some call a genocide and others call a civil war known as the “Anglophone Crisis” in which armed separatists from the Anglophone regions of the country in the Northwest and Southwest have taken part in an uprising against government forces. Both sides have been accused of atrocities, including the murder and torture of civilians.
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of approximately 500,000 or more since 2016. The most recent casualties of these ongoing violent crisis occurred on September 16, 2022 when gunmen set fire to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Nchang, Cameroon, and kidnapped five priests, a religious sister, a cook, a catechist, and a 15-year-old girl living at the convent, according to Vatican News.
As a result, the leader of the Catholic church Pope Francis has appealed for the release of nine Catholics kidnapped in southwest Cameroon.
The Catholic Church and other Christian denominations like Presbyterian and Baptist churches have been targeted in a wave of persecutions against the hierarchy of the Church. These religious attacks are odd because majority of the nation (70%) are practicing Christians.
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