00:00A third of Cameroon's 30 million citizens identify as Catholic,
00:05but Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit to the West African nation
00:09has many people worried, even among the Catholic faithful themselves.
00:14Just months after a violent crackdown on post-election protests,
00:20Leo's scheduled meeting with President Beer has the community divided.
00:26Our country has known many crises.
00:30And now some crises are still ongoing.
00:37So the fruit we are to receive from this visit is to commit ourselves as men,
00:44as craftsmen of peace.
00:50Others say the Pope's meeting with Beer could be seen as an endorsement
00:55of the government's violent tactics.
00:59Priest Etienne Bacaba says it's not the time to stay silent.
01:04Refusing to tell the truth for us priests is like refusing to carry our cross.
01:11Archbishop Jean Mbarga is close to Cameroon's leadership.
01:15He says the debate over the papal visit is par for the course.
01:21There are different sensitivities.
01:23I'm in Yaoundé where the dialogue between faith and politics is intense.
01:28Perhaps you're in Douala where industrial issues are the most important aspect of your work.
01:34The Bishop of Douala might complain, saying my children are more often unemployed than in Yaoundé.
01:40These are sensitivities.
01:42Leo is due to arrive in Cameroon on Wednesday for a four-day visit.
01:47Posters of the President standing next to the Pope can already be seen around cities in the run-up to
01:53his arrival.
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