AFRICA/CAMEROON - Bishop of Obala resigns, sucessor appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on December 3, 2009, accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the Diocese of Obala (Cameroon) presented by Bishop Jérôme-Owono Mimboe, in conformity with canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law.
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop of Obala (Cameroon), Rev. Leopold Sosthène Bayemi Matjei of the clergy of Eséka, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Central Africa in Yaoundé and associate at the Apostolic Nunciature in Cameroon.
Fr. Sosthène Bayemi Matjei Leopold, was born December 26, 1964 at Matombo, the then Archdiocese of Douala, now the Diocese of Eséka. He studied philosophy and theology in St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary of Bambui, Bamenda and in the Provincial Major Seminary of Theology of Paul VI in Douala. He later earned a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome and a Masters in the Pedagogy of Priestly Formation from the Pontifical Salesian University. He was ordained priest on February 12, 1994 for the Diocese of Eséka. He has since ministered as follows: 1994-1996: assistant priest first, then parish priest at Saint Paul and Coordinator of Social and Charitable Activities; 1996-2000: Studies in Rome for a doctorate in Philosophy (Pontifical Urban University) and Master in Pedagogy of Priestly Formation (Salesian Pontifical University); 2000-2004: Vicar General and Parish Priest; since 2004: local associate at Apostolic Nunciature in Yaounde; since 2005: Professor of Philosophy at the University of Central Africa in Yaounde, assistant at Saint Vincent Pallotti in Nlongkak, Yaoundé.
The Diocese of Obala (1987) is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Yaoundé. Has an area of 14,849 square kilometers, with 713,842 inhabitants (407,865 Catholics), 53 parishes, 91 priests (82 diocesan and 9 religious), 13 religious brothers, 55 seminarians, and 67 religious sisters. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 3/12/2009)