Axious but no less shocking news. On November 9, 1967, at a press conference at the Archdiocese of Montreal, Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger announced his decision to leave his post as Archbishop of Montreal to go on a mission to Africa. His departure from Montreal was not an escape. It was part of “a logic of faith and life”. The cardinal opened serenely:

“It is precisely this religious crisis that makes me leave a command post to become a simple missionary priest again... At the 1967 Synod of Bishops, during the discussion on the problem of faith and atheism, I lived a true drama of conscience... The Lord demands from me actions, in addition to words”

The following December 7th, he flew to Africa, to Cameroon, where the Bishop of Yaoundé, Msgr. Jean Zoa, a friend, welcomed him with great esteem. Under the direction of Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger, the Church of Montreal had just written a very rich chapter in its history.