Accused of incest, a man banished from his native village of Balatchi

Cameroon’s Catholic bishops, known for their staunch opposition to same-sex relationships, have been surprisingly silent since Brenda Biya, the daughter of President Paul Biya, publicly came out as gay. The lack of response contrasts with their outspoken rhetoric last year following Pope Francis’ declaration that priests could bless same-sex couples.

In December 2023, Pope Francis encouraged priests to bless same-sex unions, despite the biblical ban on homosexual relations. The practice remains illegal in most African countries, including Cameroon. It is possible to bless couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples in a form that does not have to be ritually fixed by the ecclesiastical authorities, so as not to create confusion with the blessing proper to the sacrament of marriage. “, the Vatican statement said.

Cameroonian Catholic bishops then reacted strongly. The Archbishop of Bamenda, Mgr Andrew Nkea, denounced this call, declaring that “ In Africa we understand marriage as the union between a man and a woman, and anything outside of that is witchcraft. ” The National Episcopal Conference of Bishops had, on December 22, 2023, published a statement emphasizing that ” “Homosexuality is not a human right” and that it constitutes “an abomination” and “an alienation which seriously harms humanity “.

However, since Brenda Biya’s revelations, the bishops have not made any public comment, despite the fact that she openly discussed her homosexuality nearly two weeks ago. Brenda has expressed her desire to encourage other homosexual people who live in the shadows to speak out.

This silence from the ecclesiastical authorities raises questions, especially since they had previously vigorously condemned homosexual relations, without any publicly recognized cases in the country. Now that a prominent member of Cameroonian society has revealed his sexual orientation, the bishops seem hesitant to reiterate their position.

This situation reveals the complexity of the interactions between religious beliefs, cultural norms and personal realities, raising questions about the evolution of social and religious attitudes in Cameroon. Meanwhile, the official position of the Catholic Church in Cameroon on this issue remains unclear, despite their history of condemning same-sex relationships.