Coopération Cameroun-Saint-Siège et les répercussions d’une géopolitique pontificale (1960-2023)

Abstract

The History of the Catholic Church in Cameroon is part of the missionary work begun by the Pallotines fathers in 1890. This history is illustrated by a foreign policy of the Holy See which is based on very precise principles. To speak of the geopolitics of the Holy See is to refer to the mechanisms of action linked to the expression of power on the international scene via religion. This work intends to present the influence of the Holy See on the international scene. Therefore, an analysis of the role and weight of papal geopolitics in Cameroon is considered more judicious in understanding the international political action of the Holy See and its impact on the development of Cameroonian society. After collecting and interpreting the data, we reached certain conclusions, the first of which states that the Holy See exercises an international policy which varies according to the socio-political and geographical context. The arrival of the Pallotines fathers in 1890, in a context of German protectorate, as precursors of Catholic Christianity in Cameroon, is an illustration of the capacity of adaptation of the foreign policy of the Holy See. The Pallotins, like the Spiritans, the Dominicans and the Jesuits, constitute the major players in the establishment of Catholic Christianity in Cameroon. The second conclusion is that relations between Cameroon and the Catholic Church are governed by the constitution of Cameroon and canon law which constitute its foundations. The President Paul Biya worked, with his Pope counterparts, to build and consolidate diplomatic relations between the two actors. These works are illustrated by the various visits to the State Summit in Rome or Yaoundé, as well as the concordats signed between Cameroon and the Holy See and the various exchanges of diplomatic representations.