Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of the Catholic Diocese of Buea in Cameroon has called on motorbike riders in his Episcopal See to treat their profession as a service to humanity, urging them to protect human life, respect road users, and uphold the dignity of their work, justice and peace.

In his homily during the Annual Thanksgiving Mass for motorcycle riders at the Divine Mercy Co-Cathedral of Buea Diocese, on Thursday, September 24, Bishop Bibi said riders have an important responsibility because people entrust their lives to them every day.

“Whenever someone gets on your bike, that person has entrusted his or her life to you,” the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said, emphasizing that riders are not simply transporting passengers but carrying “the hope of a family” and “the future of the community.”

The Eucharistic celebration brought together bike riders from across the Diocese of Buea, including newly elected executives and zonal leaders, as well as representatives of the diocesan Justice and Peace Commission and their chaplain.

Bishop Bibi said the annual gathering was an opportunity to thank God for the gift of life, family and the profession of motorcycle transportation, as well as for the guidance and protection experienced throughout the year.

He also encouraged the riders to give thanks to God amid difficulties and challenges.

“We must always thank God in good times and in difficult times,” the Cameroonian Bishop said.

Bishop Bibi rejected the idea that motorcycle transportation is merely a means of earning money, describing it instead as a service to God’s people and society.

“Bike riding is not only about transporting people from one place to another. It is not simply about working to earn money at the end of the day. Bike riding is a service rendered to God’s people. It is a service rendered to humanity,” he said.

He highlighted the many ways motorbike riders contribute to community life, including transporting children to school, workers to their workplaces, patients to hospitals and Christians to Church.

The Catholic Bishop observed that in communities where many people do not have access to private vehicles, motorbike riders serve as an important link between people and essential services.

He said this daily service has generated significant trust between riders and the communities they serve.

“If I did not trust you, I would not call you to take me to school and bring me back. If I did not trust you, I would not ask you to take me to the hospital, to my workplace or to a place of business,” Bishop Bibi said.

He urged the motorbike riders to protect that trust by carrying out their work with “dignity, discipline and responsibility.”

Bishop Bibi said the protection of human life should be central to the work of every bike rider.

“Jesus Christ came into this world to protect and preserve life. For this reason, every bike rider has a very important responsibility: to preserve and protect life,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader reminded the motorbike riders that passengers are human beings created in the image and likeness of God.

“You are not simply carrying cargo or an object. You are carrying a human being,” he said.

Bishop Bibi, who began his Episcopal Ministry in March 2017 as Auxiliary Bishop of Cameroon’s Bamenda Archdiocese,  called on them to be careful and patient on the roads, avoid unnecessary speeding and dangerous overtaking, and comply with traffic laws and road regulations.

“A bike rider must be conscious that human life is precious,” Bishop Bibi said.

He also urged them to treat passengers, pedestrians and other road users with respect and dignity.

Bishop Bibi called on the motorbike riders to reject dishonesty, exploitation and aggression in their interactions with passengers and other road users.

“A bike rider must not be dishonest. You must not cheat, overcharge or exploit passengers,” he said.

He also warned riders against using their motorcycles to facilitate theft, violence or other criminal activities.

Bishop Bibi further called on them to avoid drug and alcohol abuse, particularly when operating motorcycles.

“Imagine a bike rider who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol transporting people. That is a disaster waiting to happen because the passenger cannot be sure of reaching the destination safely,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of Buea also urged bike riders to become ambassadors of justice and peace in their communities.

He said justice requires respecting the rights and property of others and warned that injustice can lead to anger, conflict and violence.

“Bike riders must strive to practice justice and encourage other people to promote peace in our communities,” he said.

He also called on them to avoid spreading rumours, hate speech, insults and false information.

“A careless word can create fear, provoke violence and destroy relationships,” the Catholic Bishop said, urging the riders instead to become “messengers of truth, reconciliation and peace.”

He encouraged dialogue whenever disagreements arise, saying problems within families, associations and communities cannot be adequately addressed without open communication.

Bishop Bibi said the diocesan Justice and Peace Commission would work with the motorbike riders’ chaplain to develop formation programmes for the association.

The programmes, he said, would provide formation, assistance and support to help riders carry out their work responsibly.

He said the Justice and Peace Commission would meet with the association’s executives to develop a programme and calendar for the coming year, particularly focusing on formation in collaboration with the spiritual director.

He encouraged the motorbike riders to put God first in their profession and to see their daily work as an opportunity to serve others.

“May God give us the wisdom, discipline and grace to carry out this profession with dignity, responsibility, justice and love,” Bishop Bibi implored.

Culled from aciAfrica