CI-NEWS

Is there a rift in Kleda-Tumi bond?

2020-01-29

No: 468

Is there a rift in Kleda-Tumi bond?

The Douala Archbishop last week, in a surprise decision, signed a decree relieving Cardinal Tumi, considered his mentor, of the privilege of being cited during intercessory prayers, sparking speculations about smouldering disagreements between the two

What has suddenly come in between Mgr Samuel Kleda, Archbishop of Douala, and Christian Cardinal Tumi, the man considered as his spiritual Godfather? That is the question racing through the minds of Catholic faithful and admirers of both prelates after last week’s decree by Kleda terminating what he said was a privilege he granted since 2009 that the Cardinal be cited at intercessory prayers during the Eucharist.

The decree reads partly as follows: "since his renunciation of the pastoral charge of the Archdiocese of Douala, the Archbishop Emeritus, His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi enjoys a special privilege, that of the citation in the part reserved for intercessions during the Eucharistic Prayer, after the Metropolitan Archbishop. From the date of signature of this Decree, I have decided to end this particular practice.”

Though the communique at first sight is a mere instruction addressed to the Vicar General, to the Episcopal Vicars and to all the priests of the Archdiocese of Douala in respect of the Canon Law, observers say there is more to it than meets the eye. The initiated say it in fact betrays a leadership war within the Douala Archbishop. Kleda who has for too long been on the fringes of power, has by this act shown his determination to wrest back that power and be the man at the steering wheel.

There are also speculations that there has been a cold war between the two for some time, especially over issues of social justice. This came somehow to shake the foundations of the strong bond that existed between the two as adversaries of the regime. While Tumi embraced the Major National Dialogue with Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute on the steering wheel, Kleda rejected Dion Ngute as leader and this probably contributed to his not being invited for the event. Kleda appeared to have been shocked by the softly, softly rhetoric of Tumi on the Anglophone crisis. That position, considered anti-people, did not chime with that of Kleda. The Douala Archbishop therefore saw a golden opportunity to complete the divorce with his spiritual Godfather whose towering image may have blocked his emergence.

Away from the political twist given to the decree of Kleda, some men of God say he was right to stop the privilege, but the timing was the problem. An opinion from a learned man of God posted online states:

“According to the Law of the church, the name of the Bishop should not be mentioned once he is retired and is not serving as an Apostolic Administrator of the same diocese. However, in the case of Douala, I think the Cardinal himself at the time of retirement asked to be mentioned in the Eucharistic Prayer. That said, the current Archbishop might have been prudent to think of the consequences of his decision within the current context when everything can be interpreted politically”.

And so a very normal decision permitted by Canon Law has been given various interpretations because Kleda did not strike the iron while it was hot.

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Is there a rift in Kleda-Tumi bond?