In a statement issued on Monday, April 16, after a poster advertising the sale of tickets for the Papal liturgies went viral on social media, Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt said that during the Pope’s visit, the faithful will be able to attend the papal liturgies in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala without any charges.
“The Apostolic Nunciature informs that during the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Visit to Cameroon, on April 15–18, 2026, faithful can access liturgical celebrations presided over by the Holy Father, in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala, entirely free of charge,” Archbishop Bettencourt said.
The Portuguese-born Vatican diplomat emphasized that “no sale of tickets for seats is permitted to these celebrations,” warning the public against any individuals or groups attempting to charge money for access to papal events.
“The faithful are urged not to be misled by any private initiative seeking payment to access Papal celebrations,” the Apostolic Nuncio in Cameroon, since his appointment in August 2023, said.
According to Archbishop Bettencourt, the visit should primarily be understood as a spiritual moment for the Church and the country.
“The Holy Father's Apostolic Visit is first and foremost a spiritual and ecclesial event of great importance for the Church in Cameroon and for the entire Nation,” the member of the Clergy of Canada’s Ottawa-Cornwall Catholic Archdiocese said.
The Apostolic Nuncio also has also encouraged Catholics and people of goodwill to prepare spiritually for the historic visit.
“The Apostolic Nunciature therefore invites all the faithful and people of goodwill to focus primarily on the spiritual preparation for this historic event: prayer, liturgical celebrations, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, catechesis, and reconciliation,” he says.
Archbishop Bettencourt expresses hope that the papal visit would bring renewed faith and unity to the country.
“May this visit be for all a moment of grace, communion, and spiritual renewal for the Church and for Cameroon,” he says.