The newly-installed Bishop of Buea Diocese, Michael Bibi, has emphasised the need for unity among Catholic clerics and faithful in order to improve spirituality and pastoral ministry in the diocese.

Bishop Michael taking over the canonical sea

The Prelate made the remark on Thursday, February 25, shortly after his installation as the 5th Bishop of Buea Diocese.

“I think that the way forward for the Diocese of Buea is that, together with the clergy and the religious community, we are going to put our heads together to see how we can continue to work as a family so that we improve on our spiritual life, pastoral ministry, and to see how we can get good accommodations for our churches and our priests in order to have more effective pastoral work.”

Bishop Micheal Bibi

Drawing inspiration from the Holy Bible, the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, His Lordship Andrew Nkea, implored the faithful to support the ministerial assignment of Bishop Bibi.

The Prelate further asked that all Christian should see Bishop Bibi as a High Priest who has been sent to them by God with an Apostolic Mandate and “not see him like a political opposition or some regional oppressor.”

“The clergy, consecrated men and women and Christ lay faithful should, therefore, rally themselves around their Chief Shepherd, because, he is chosen and sent by God.”

Bishop attending to Christian days after installation

The 49-year old Bishop Michael Bibi equally guaranteed his maximum support to students of the Catholic University Institute of Buea.

“I want to encourage all the faculty and students of the Catholic University Institute of Buea and to let them know that they are cherished for what they are doing in the school in order to become entrepreneurs who create jobs for themselves and who do not go out to seek for jobs, and as the Bishop of the Diocese of Buea, I think I would give them all my support and collaboration so that they should be able to accomplish this dream.

Background

Mgr. Michael Bibi was born on July 28, 1971 in Bamessing, Northwest Region. In 2000, he was ordained Priest at St. Joseph Cathedral, Bamenda, by late Archbishop Paul Verdzekov.

Seventeen years later (on January 24, 2017), he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda and Titular Bishop of Amudarsa. In December 2019, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Buea and on January 5, 2021, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Buea by His Holiness Pope Francis.

By Neville Mesumbe