Bishop Bala was known for his wisdom and gentleness. He also upheld the teachings of the Church concerning same-sex attraction, especially with regard to the priests in his diocese. His body was found by fishermen in the Sanaga River, near Monatele, on June 2. What was at first assumed to be suicide, is gradually coming to light as a brutal murder that reportedly may have been presided over by a coup of homosexual Catholic priests:

Investigators found signs of torture on his body.



Catholic bishops in Cameroon said this bishop, whose body was pulled from a river in early June, did not commit suicide, but was murdered:

“In view of the initial findings, we bishops of Cameroon affirm that Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Bala did not commit suicide; he was brutally murdered. This is one more murder, and one too many,” the bishops said in a statement after meeting in a general assembly June 13. Read the full report HERE

According to an article at Cruxnow.com, Bishop Bala's murder was allegedly carried out by gay priests in retaliation for his holding the line on the Church's teaching on homosexuality:

In response, the current apostolic administrator of Bala’s diocese, Monsignor Joseph Akonga Essomba, delivered a blunt answer on Thursday during a homily at a memorial Mass: The bishop was killed, he said, because he stood up against homosexuals in the Church and the priesthood.



Pointing to the front rows of the Church where most government ministers and other important personalities sat, and casting a sweeping look at fellow priests and bishops, Essomba charged:

“Shame to all those people in black suits and black spectacles always sitting in the front rows of the Church,” he said.



“Shame to all those priests who have come here, pretending to sympathize. These are the people who killed our bishop, because he said ‘no’ to the homosexuality perpetrated by those priests,” Akonga said.

The Cruxnow.com article is here.