Cameroonian Catholic Bishop Forgives Suspended Priest, Clears Way for Return to Ministry

Bishop Bibi used the occasion to remind the Priest of the importance of obedience as part of his Priestly vocation, saying, “I ask you to remain steadfast in prayer, obedience, and love for the Church, our Mother, who formed you as a Priest.”

He encouraged Fr. Nkeze to “constantly adhere” to his vow of obedience “seriously”.

The Local Ordinary of Buea, who started his Episcopal Ministry in March 2017 as Auxiliary Bishop of Cameroon’s Bamenda Archdiocese, also assured Fr. Nkeze of his continued prayers and asked the Priest to pray for him as well.

“Know that you remain in my prayers, and I ask you to pray for me as well. May Almighty God strengthen you in your vocation, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, accompany you always,” Bishop Bibi said.

The apology follows a prolonged dispute between Fr. Nkeze and the Catholic Diocese of Buea that attracted significant attention within Cameroon and beyond.

In his February 6 letter to Bishop Bibi, Fr. Nkeze acknowledged that he had failed to fulfill his obligations as a Priest incardinated in the Diocese of Buea and admitted making “errors in judgment and action” by not complying with his Bishop’s directives.

“For this, I offer my sincere apology and respectfully ask for your fatherly understanding and forgiveness,” he wrote.

The Cameroonian Catholic Priest also reaffirmed his desire to remain faithful to his Priestly vocation.

The tensions reportedly began in 2020 when, as Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Bibi made administrative changes at the Diocese-owned Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB) by appointing Prof. Victor Julius Ngoh as Vice Chancellor, a position that was previously held by Fr. Nkeze.  

Members of the University Council disapproved of the change and dragged Bishop Bibi, then Apostolic Administrator of Buea Diocese, to court.