“Jesus Christ alone has the last word,” Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop Urges Youth to Deepen Christian Faith

“Everyone must leave this National Youth Day with many friends—good friends—for the present and for the future, because the Church is a living family where we hold one another by the hand with Jesus,” he said.

The Cameroonian Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in September 1999 as Bishop of Cameroon’s Bafoussam Diocese, further called on participants to embrace prayer, discipline, fraternity, friendship, and, above all, conversion, insisting that the gathering should leave a lasting spiritual impact.

“This event must not pass as just another activity. It must leave a mark—the mark of Christ’s presence,” he said.

Expressing his hope for the fruits of the National Youth Days, Archbishop Atanga added that by the end of the gathering, people should be able to say: “These young people have fulfilled their mission. They have learned to respect one another. They have rediscovered Jesus. They have decided to live differently.”

Addressing participants who feel weak, discouraged, or forgotten, the Jesuit Archbishop reminded them of their dignity before God.

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“To those who feel small, weak, poor, oppressed, or forgotten, I say: you have a place in the heart of God,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader who will turn 74 on August 14 continued, “Do not compare yourselves to others. Do not let anyone convince you that you are worthless. Christ looks at you with love, calls you, and has a plan for each one of you.”

Archbishop Atanga entrusted the JNJ to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that she would accompany the young people throughout the gathering and help them grow in their love for Christ and His Church.

The week-long programme includes catechesis, Eucharistic celebrations, Eucharistic adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, cultural evenings, sporting activities, manual work, and a national gathering at the JNJ Village in Bertoua.

Alongside the liturgical celebrations, participants are expected to engage in catechetical reflections and discussions on issues affecting young people in Cameroon, including personal vocation, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, culture, faith, and social responsibility.