PRAYERS: Bishop of Bafia reportedly murdered in Cameroon
At present, there are no official versions or declarations by the investigating bodies or the Catholic hierarchy, while rumors of a possible plan to eliminate Mgr. Balla are becoming more and more pressing.
Shortly after it was found, the prelate’ body was transferred to the Yaoundé capital for the autopsy. The examination was entrusted to a pool of doctors, including an expert appointed by the Episcopal Conference. According to the first disclosures, the signs found on Mgr. Balla’s body lead to think of repeated tortures as well as to exclude the initial hypothesis of suicide. “Frankly - Father Garcia Fernando, Provincial Superior of the Saverians in Cameroon explains during a phone interview with Vatican Insider - “I never believed that Monsignor Balla had taken his life. It is something extreme for anyone, let alone for a bishop. It immediately seemed like a maneuver to discredit the Church and spread disturbing rumors around. Even in the case of Father Jean Armel’s death (the young rector of the Seminary of Saint André whose lifeless body was found in his bedroom only two weeks before the death of Mgr. Balla, e.d) there was immediate talk of suicide. But I can assure you that I spoke to one of the sisters in service there, who told me that the night before, Father Jean had a sudden onset of illness. In his case, I’m sure it was natural death. In the case of the bishop of Bafia, however, there is no doubt it was murder.” Why, was the Bishop of Bafia killed then? And who is trying to discredit the Catholic Church by skillfully spreading fake news?
“Its’ probably the same environments - Padre Garcia resumes -Here in Cameroon there are many realities, ambiguous movements that seek to harm the Church. Very strong and power-hungry groups or secret societies such as the Rosicrucian Order. That being said, Monsignor Balla’s death remains a mystery. I do not recall that he has ever undertaken public campaigns or has started national battles to justify such a violent opposition by hostile groups.”
“I believe more in the internal track, within the Catholic Church and its connections with government power groups,” says a Cameroonian journalist who prefers to maintain anonymity for security reasons. There is a great deal of tension in our country at this time and I can tell you with certainty that we are facing real feuds within the Church and between the Church and the political power. In my opinion, the reasons behind Monsignor Balla’s murder must be sought in those environments.”
There are also reconstructions of an alleged traffic linked to pedophile environments to which Monsignor Balla fiercely opposed. He probably paid with his own life the price of this battle. It’s now up to the judicial inquiry, opened after the finding the corpse in the Sanaga River, to clarify and provide answers to the many open questions.
Meanwhile, in a country still under shock for the dramatic story, the news of a another death in ecclesiastical environments comes to light: priest Ndi Augustin was found dead on June 7 in his room in Nguti, department Of Kupe-Manengumba, in the south-eastern area of Cameroon, after a short disappearance. “That morning he did not show up for breakfast – people close to the priest told cameroon.net - we went looking for him and found his corpse.”
It is the third disappearance followed by the finding of a corpse within three weeks in Cameroon. All three cases involved Catholic priests.
