The Bishop of Cameroon's Catholic Diocese of Buea has faulted members of the Clergy in the diocese for not wearing clerical attire while undertaking their pastoral activities.
In his letter to all Priests in the Cameroonian Diocese shared with ACI Africa on Thursday, January 4, Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi said that the clerical attire identifies Priests and sets them apart from the secular world.
“For some time now, I have shared with you my observation that lots of you dear brothers prefer to go about town during business hours without your clerical attires: neither cassock, soutane nor clerical shirt,” Bishop Bibi said, and added, “This observation, as you well know, concerns me greatly.”
“In our very secular world of today where the sense of the sacred is so weakened, it is ever so important for us priests to be visible signs of Christ's presence. Thus, our clerical attires become the immediately recognizable sign of our vocation and ministry,” he said.
Referring to Canon 284, the Cameroonian Bishop continued, “Clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb according to the norms issued by the conference of bishops and according to legitimate local customs.”
Bishop Bibi said that any Priest who performs their clerical duties in public during business hours without clerical attire violates the Canon law.
The Bishop further made reference to article 66 on the obligation of ecclesiastical attire of the 1994 Directory for the Life and Ministry of Priests which he said explains how the Priests should stand out from the general community because of their clerical attire.
According to the Directory approved by Pope John Paul II on 31 January 1994 and authorized for publication by the Congregation for the Clergy, a Priest should be recognized in “a secular and materialistic society.”
The community must be able to “recognize the priest, man of God and dispenser of his mysteries, by his attire... which is an unequivocal sign of his dedication and his identity as a public minister,” says the directory.
In his letter, Bishop Bibi said that “the priest should be primarily identifiable through his conduct, but his manner of dress also makes known to everyone that he belongs to God and the Church.”
The Bishop directed Priests under his Pastoral care to be in clerical attire during business hours (8 am to 6 pm), saying, “By clerical attire, I mean either one of the following; Clerical Shirt (Roman collar or with a tab) in black, white, or light blue colour; Black Suit with a clerical shirt in black, white, or light blue; Cassock in black or white Soutane in black or white.”
He added, “Priests of Religious Orders serving in the Diocese of Buea must also be in their proper habit during business hours as laid out in this letter.”