Cardinal Christian Tumi died on April 3 at the age of 90. He is remembered for his commitment to development and as an advocate for peace in his home country of Cameroon.
In 2019 he received the Nelson Mandela prize for promoting peace and human rights.
In 2020 he was kidnapped for several hours by a group of armed men. The cardinal had received threats after encouraging children to return to school following a violent attack which left several students dead. The attack caught Pope Francis' attention, and he condemned the violent actions from Rome.
POPE FRANCIS
“I express my bewilderment at such a cruel and shocking attack that took the lives of innocent children while they were in the classroom. May God enlighten our hearts so that similar acts may never be repeated, and that the tormented regions of the country may finally find peace.”
Cardinal Wiyghan Tumi could no longer participate in the next conclave, nor did he participate in the conclave that elected Pope
Francis, who sent this message to Cameroon to praise his work for human rights.
With his death the College of Cardinals falls to 226 members, of whom 126 are electors.
Javier Romero
