Cameroon: Bishop Was Killed For Opposing Gay Clerics, Priest Charges

Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, Cameroon, was murdered because he opposed homosexuals in the clergy, according to a leading priest in his diocese.

At a memorial Mass for the deceased prelate, Msgr. Joseph Akonga Essomba charged that powerful individuals had arranged Bishop Bala’s death; he hinted that politicians were in league with homosexual priests. Gesturing toward government officials who were in attendance at the memorial service, he denounced “all those people in black suits and black spectacles... pretending to sympathize.” He added: “These are the people who killed out bishop, because he said No to the homosexuality perpetrated by those priests.”

Cameroon: Bishop Was Killed For Opposing Gay Clerics, Priest Charges

The Catholic bishops of Cameroon have charged that Bishop Bala was tortured and murdered. A police investigation produced a report—backed by an independent autopsy—that the bishop died by drowning. Archbishop Samuel Kleda Doula, the president of the country’s episcopal conference, has rejected the autopsy report, insisting the the bishop’s body showed clear signs of torture.

Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo said: “He was killed because he stood for the truth.”

Media outlets in Cameroon reported that masked men visited the home of Msgr. Akonga Essomba in the evening after he delivered his fiery homily. The priest, who was not at home that evening, dismissed rumors that there had been an attempt on his life. Cameroon: Bishop Was Killed For Opposing Gay Clerics, Priest Charges