In Cameroon, the social situation is deteriorating by the day: the quality of health-care, teaching at primary and university levels, public services, infrastructures, etc., give the impression of a regression in spite of the multiplication of structures. Urbanization is taking a strong hold and is accompanied by economic and cultural poverty. The set of traditional values no longer holds firm. Modernity invades every part of life. Moral relativism (corruption) is gaining ground. The family is profoundly destabilized. The Cameroonian Church is already 100 years old and its set up is quite clerical, though it has an active laity. Crowds of the faithful invade the places of worship on Sunday (at least in the south of the country), only to disappear again into anonymity immediately after, without a meaningful presence in the life of the country. The missionary momentum remains weak at the level of conscience and in practice. Each community still struggles to maintain itself, but progress is being made; almost all the Churches have great problems of management and the maintenance of structures. There is a lack of cohesion among the bishops and the faithful are confused by certain behaviours and choices (especially of a socio-political nature). There is considerable disparity in the availability of apostolic personnel among the dioceses. The Churches in the East and the North need reinforcements, whilst the diocese of the large cities have a surplus of personnel.
