The activities in Africa are bearing excellent fruit. Marcel Lefebvre has returned to Africa for another two months, January 8 to March 23, 2013. He will work in Gabon January 8-24, Cameroon from January 25 to February 11, Congo until February 26, Bangui (capital city of the Central African Republic) from February 28 to March 12, finishing up in Kinshasa (capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo), March 12-23.
On January 8, 2013, Marcel Lefebvre was welcomed to Port-Gentil in Gabon by Bishop Mathieu Madega along with a large delegation. From the airport, a police escort accompanied all of them to the Chancellery of Port-Gentil. The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Gabon sent out this report:
“Over 500 people took part in the seminar organized by Justice and Peace in the Diocese of Port-Gentil from January 9-16, 2013, around the theme ‘Justice, Peace and Social Credit’. The seminar was presided the Most Rev. Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan, Bishop of Port-Gentil. A representative from the Louis Even Institute in Canada (Marcel Lefebvre) and the representative of the Holy See, Cardinal Peter K. A. Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, were the main orators for this seminar. The opening Mass on January 8, 2013 was presided by the Bishop of Port-Gentil. The Eucharistic celebration was preceded by the recitation of the Rosary and Vespers.
“Poverty is a problem against which humanity must fight relentlessly,” said Cardinal Peter Turkson on Sunday, January 13, in a conference after the Mass. He also added that, “We are called to ever greater solidarity, so that no one is excluded from society.”
“In his homily, Bishop Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan stressed the need to understand these key words of the theme of the seminar, ‘Justice’ and ‘Peace’. According to the Prelate, it is poverty that is at the heart of the daily problems of numerous families. He exhorted the faithful to cultivate in their hearts a greater love for God and for their neighbor, putting God at the center of everything. ‘If God is absent from our hearts and from our relationships, then we are nothing; everything that we try to do will only go up in smoke’. During the second day of the seminar, participants discussed production of wealth, redistribution, and the eradication of poverty.”
Bishop Mathieu Madega managed to get the seminar to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the foundation of his diocese with the goal of teaching Social Credit to the African people. The day of the great solemnity, 1,500 people participated. Cardinal Peter Turkson was the special guest of honor. Bishop Mathieu gave an exposé on the social doctrine of the Church and Marcel Lefebvre gave a conference on Social Credit. Others who spoke on Social Credit were Gabriel Koubang from Togo, and Mr. Olivier Obiang Zue and Mrs. Stepanie Agnes Ndoan of Cameroon.
Gabriel Koubang is doing wonderful work in his country of Togo giving conferences in universities, seminaries and schools.
Blaise Kusseka, a substitute professor at the Catholic University of Kinshasa writes: “What a conference! All the professors were impressed. We look forward to much activity in January with all of them.”
Pascal Akoti, National President of the Legion of Mary, also writes: “For 2013, we plan on systematically publishing articles on Social Credit in our quarterly newsletter.” The Franciscan Fraternity of Lome invited Pascal Akoti to hold a conference with their community. In May 2013, Mr. Akoti will attend along with Gabriel Koubang.
Thanks be to God for our African friends who have understood the need to relieve the world of the scandalous oppression of poverty.
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