The church in Cameroon that was set on fire by armed men in Cameroon was found intact by the Bishop of Mamfé, Mons. Aloysius Founding.
Armed men set fire to the church of Santa Maria in the town of Nchang on the night of 16 September in the Diocese of Mamfe, and kidnapped five priests, a nun, and three lay people.
In a video released on September 21 by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Mons. Fondong is seen entering the attacked temple and going through the rubble until he reaches the tabernacle, placed on a wall next to a cross.
After opening the tabernacle, the Prelate bows in a sign of adoration and proceeds to remove the ciborium inside which are the consecrated hosts.
“What happened is abominable. They are testing the patience of God,” said the Bishop of Mamfé, according to a tweet from ACN.
In information collected by Vatican News, Radio Evangelium, belonging to the Diocese of Mamfé, indicated that that night some 60 armed men attacked the Catholic community in Nchang and kidnapped five priests, a nun, a cook, a catechist, and a 15-year-old teenager. years living with the nuns.
According to the Vatican agency Fides, the Archbishop of Bamenda, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, said that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom. The Prelate pointed out that there are groups that see the Church as an “easy target to make money.”