On an apostolic visit to Cameroon since Wednesday, the pope wants to touch the hearts of young people. The sovereign pontiff advocates for the education, training, and entrepreneurial spirit of the youth.
The flourishing of Cameroonian youth and their participation in the development of the country and the Church are among the priorities of Pope Leo XIV. In Yaoundé, where he began his four-day apostolic visit, the successor of Saint Peter revealed one of his desires, that of touching the hearts of young people “called to shape, including politically, a fairer world.” But in Cameroon, they face unemployment, exclusion, violence, and frustrations. While people who have served the country for decades remain in their positions despite their advanced age and related fatigue. This forces some young people to leave the country to seek better living conditions elsewhere, failing which they fall into social scourges such as drugs and prostitution.
However, “Cameroonian youth represent the hope of the country and the Church. Their energy and creativity are invaluable treasures.” Nevertheless, “when unemployment and exclusion persist, frustration can lead to violence,” the pope acknowledges. Situations in Cameroon where young people are on the scene to protest or demonstrate can thus find an explanation in the abuses that exclude or frustrate them. The pope recommends that governments invest in education, training, and the entrepreneurial spirit of young people.” According to him, it is a strategic choice for peace. It will also help end the brain drain to other countries around the world. “It is also the only way to fight against the scourges of drugs, prostitution, and lethargy that devastate too many young lives, in an increasingly dramatic way,” the pope recommends.
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The sovereign pontiff is fixated on youth at a time when young Cameroonians are engaging in drug and other narcotic use, committing acts of violence, and indulging in many other abuses. His recommendations add to solutions already considered or implemented by Cameroonian authorities but which struggle to bear fruit.
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