Cameroon: Bishops issue Pastoral Letter as country’s landmark October 2025 election draws near

Liliane Mugombozi - Yaounde

In their Pastoral Letter released on the third Friday of Lent, 28 March 2025, the Cameroonian Bishops emphasize that, “Elections represent significant moments that engage the attention of all citizens, while at the same time, an occasion for the people to assert their sovereignty through the free and deliberate choice of their leaders.”

The Bishops remind Cameroonians that in the current context of the country, “The presidential election, in particular, takes on a very important stake that deserves to be approached in an informed and conscientious manner when voting.” The Bishop said, adding, “The purpose of this Letter is to help rediscover the sense of politics, to provide clear guidelines for reflection and to enlighten conscience so that you can make a free and responsible choice.” And to Christians, the Cameroonian prelates want to “remind in particular that true Christian faith and hope consist not only in beseeching God’s blessing but also in working for justice and peace.”

The Church’s role in politics

Based on the teachings of the Church, particularly those from Vatican II documents and the guidance of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, the Bishops elaborate on several themes, including the Church’s involvement in politics.

Indicating that as “pastors, we cannot ignore the intimate connection between evangelization and human progress, and the inevitable social dimension of the proclamation of the Gospel, through our social teaching, we want to establish for the lay faithful a moral duty of consistency within their conscience, which is unique and one. Reminding the faithful that the “tasks accompanying responsibilities in social and political institutions demand a strict and articulated commitment that is able to demonstrate clearly the absolute necessity of the moral dimension in social and political life through thoughtful contributions to the political debate, planning and the chosen actions”.

The responsibility of Christians 

Launching the call in a special way to the lay faithful, the Bishops remind that “there is a Christian way of doing politics, while at the same time urging them to discern as Church what is likely or not to help our country grow.” The Bishops reiterate: “It is the right and duty of everyone to participate in political life. And there is no reason why Christians should fail to take an interest in politics.”

The Bishops’ call is a wake-up call, they say, for compatriots to not only denounce problems but to commit themselves with others in analyzing situations, discerning what is at stake, and proposing concrete courses of action. Consequently, “the lay faithful are never to relinquish their participation in public life, that is, in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good,” In this respect, for the lay faithful, politics is not interference but “is a worthy and demanding expression of Christian commitment of service to others. The pursuit of the common good in a spirit of service, the development of justice with particular attention to situations of poverty and suffering, respect for the autonomy of earthly realities, the principle of subsidiary, the promotion of dialogue and peace in the context of solidarity: these are the criteria that must inspire the Christian laity in their political activity,” reads part of the Pastoral Letter.

The duty to participate in elections

Although the context of insecurity highlighted in the Pastoral Letter of 24 August 2018 has certainly seen some positive signs, the Bishops underline some challenges in the country that subsist. These include the persistent of numerous pockets of resistance from certain armed militias in the far North, North-West and South-West regions in addition to migration, cost of living, urban criminality, tribalism, hate speech and acts, bigotry, juvenile delinquency and widespread unemployment, are situations that could hinder the holding of peaceful elections.

Cameroon's Catholic faithful

In the face of these many ills in society, such as corruption in its varied forms: the misappropriation of public resources, the exploitation of individuals, the denial of rights, the flouting of community rules, dishonest gain, the justification of power by force or the arbitrary appeal to raison d'état, “the question being posed now is not, “Who should I vote for?” but “Is it even of any value to go and vote?”

Doubts about the legitimacy of the candidates are compounding the problems most complained about with every presidential election in Cameroon: violence during campaigns (some candidates not being welcome in certain constituencies), post-election violence triggered by disputes over the official results, fiddling with electoral registers, vote buying, and, in some constituencies, destruction of ballot papers. The Bishops launched a call: “Despite all the prevailing difficulties, we invite Catholic Christians and all Cameroonians of goodwill, to exercise their duty and right to vote instead of resigning themselves to indifference driven by despair and fear. “Elections also help to preserve stability and ensure that constitutional terms of office are respected. They should, therefore, be seen as a historic opportunity to carry out significant reforms”.

Commission of Justice and Peace

As in the past, the Catholic Church will accompany the electoral process through the Episcopal Commission of Justice and Peace. The Commission will “carry out its role of monitoring the electoral process through education, observation and the peaceful prevention of election-related violence. The prelates invite Commission for Justice and Peace and the various diocesan commissions to, “carry out activities or workshops to promote civic participation, political awareness and election of competent, honest and responsible candidates; to carry out diocesan and parish awareness-raising, education and prayer activities, including via social media networks.”

A call was also addressed to all the political parties involved in the current electoral process to work effectively to ensure that “the elections are conducted in peace, transparency and justice because respect for the rights of voters and their wishes is a guarantee for safeguarding unity and social cohesion and lasting peace in the Country,” observe the Bishops.

The Bishops conclude by insisting that citizens should not limit themselves to dropping a ballot paper into a ballot box. “More than just the act of casting a ballot, we need to make a long-term undertaking to respond to the questions we face …With this commitment in mind, we offer this Letter to all our fellow citizens to enlighten our consciences at the time of voting and also to enable us to discern the path along which we must commit ourselves, with patience and fidelity.”