Response of Thomas MONGO, the bishop of Douala, Cameroon, to Vatican II’s Antepreparatory Commission

Eminentissime,

Episcopus Afer nuperrime constitutus, haud facile multa, quae ad proximum Oecumenicum Concilium pertineant, proponere possum.

Primum: de Officio Divino: ita brevius effici posse videtur, ut unum tantum Nocturnum, tres vero lectiones, ex vetere vel novo Testamento, ex Patrum Scriptis, vel Sanctae Sedis Litteris, vel denique Sanctorum vita sumptae, accuratius diligentissimeque excerptae, servari possint.

De Divino vero Sacrificio: vota “Liturgici Congressus” qui in Bataviae urbe “Nimegue” habitus est, cum nostris votis menteque omnino consonant.

Praeterea — res et exoptanda et magni momenti esse videtur (in quaestionibus de Matrimonio, praesertim) — Archiepiscopis, vel etiam Episcopis concedantur ampliores facultates. Quibus concessis, et magnae difficultates, et longissimae morae vitari poterunt.

Persaepe omnino tardius ad nos perveniunt mandata, quae postea ad Missionarios deferri debent. Nam si aeronautica via facillime inter continentia patet, ingentia brevissimo tempore percurrens spatia, teneri tamen non possumus, quin recordemur inter diversa nostrarum regionum loca, iter laboriosum tardumque tantum patere per arduas lentissimasque vias.

Eminentissime Pater, Te humiliter precor ut pro nostra Camerunensi Patria, quae paucas post hebdomadas, integram “independentiam” obtentura est, Dominum rogare velis, ut in Regnum suum et in Catholicum Ovile nostras nationes admittere dignetur.

Eminentissime Pater, gratam habe, quaeso, humillimam Nostram in Te reverentiam, sineque Nos Te rogare ut in tuis orationibus memoriam coram Domino facias et Nostri et omnium Nostrae Dioecesis Sacerdotum, Fidelium, Infideliumque.

Tuus Totus in Christo

+ THOMAS MONGO
Episcopus Dualaënsis

Most Eminent,

 As a very recently appointed African bishop, I cannot easily propose many things that pertain to the upcoming Ecumenical Council.

First: concerning the Divine Office: it seems that it can be made shorter in such a way that only one Nocturne but three readings, taken from the Old or New Testament, from the writings of the Fathers, or from the documents of the Holy See, or lastly from the lives of the Saints, more accurately and very diligently selected, could be kept.

On the true Divine Sacrifice: the wishes of the “Liturgical Congress”, which was held in the city of Nijmegen in Batavia, are completely in line with our wishes and mind.

Furthermore – it seems to be both a very desirable and important issue (in questions of Marriage, especially) – greater faculties should be granted to archbishops or even bishops. With these [faculties] granted, both significant difficulties and very long delays will be able to be avoided.

Very often, mandates that should be subsequently delivered to missionaries reach us quite late. For if the aeronautical route between continents is very easily accessible, traversing vast distances in a very short time, nevertheless, we cannot help but recall that between the different parts of our regions, a laborious and slow journey can only be made through arduous and very sticky roads.

Most Eminent Father, I humbly implore you to kindly pray to the Lord for our fatherland Cameroon, which is going to attain complete “independent” in a few weeks, that he may deign to admit our nations into his Kingdom and into the Catholic Fold.

Most Eminent Father, consider acceptable, I entreat, our most humble reverence for You, and allow us to ask you that in your prayers before the Lord, you may remember both us and all the priests, the faithful and the unbelievers of our diocese.   

All Yours in Christ

+ THOMAS MONGO
Bishop of Douala