Page 41 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

Prayer, Action and Fasting
Here are some thoughts of
Most Rev. Anatole Milandou, arch-
bishop of Brazzaville, Congo:
y finding myself here, it was a
kind of continuing education
B – just like when we bishops
go to Rome once in a while – that
deepened my understanding of
the Social Doctrine of the Church.
We have really discovered many
aspects to which we were not pay-
ing attention. I think that this invites
us to deepen our understanding of
this Social Doctrine that is part of
the Magisterium.
When we see these banking
systems that lead a multitude of Africa, we say: ‘We throw rocks triumph, the faith of the Church. In
people to their death, there is really only on a tree that bears fruit’. If a all of this, we congratulate you for
something that shakes us up, we tree does not have any fruits, we your profound conviction.
the bishops of Africa. We must re- have no interest in it, but if the tree
flect on this question in a serious produces fruit, we throw rocks at it.
manner. No, we do not know the If you encounter difficulties today,
Social Doctrine of the Church
well enough, and we should.
It has been often repeated
to us here: “My people perish
for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea,
4:6.) I am afraid these words
apply to Africa now. Hence the
urgency of the course given
here on Social Credit. Come to
teach our Christians in Africa.
The doors of our dioceses are
wide open to us, because we
have understood your message.
When I see statesmen like
Lincoln and Sankara who were
assassinated, I realize that we
are dealing with financial pow-
ers that are really monstrous.
Then I understand why here
you link action and prayer be-
cause Jesus said that “this kind
(of demons) does not come out
except by prayer and fasting.”
(Matthew 17:21.) So I really
understood this connection:
prayer and action because the
wolf may loose his teath, but
never his nature. So, we must
be very careful, we are facing a
system of monsters…
I thank all the members of
this work: women and men. I
encourage you to continue. In
www.michaeljournal.org
it is not an occasion to be discour-
aged; on the contrary, we must al-
ways forge ahead.
What we have just learned
of Social Credit is an extra string
to our bow… So we pay homage
to the Pilgrims of St. Michael for
what they are doing here and all
over the world, for their profound
conviction because in the face of
the tepidity that is gaining ground
more and more in the Church of
the western world, the old church-
es that evangelized us, there are
those who are renouncing their
Christian roots and soliciting re-
vival churches and all other reli-
gions. I think it is groups like this,
like yours, that will make the faith
May St. Michael defend us!
Myself I have a parish, a shrine
dedicated to St. Michael, be-
cause the first diocesan priest
who founded this parish had
a devotion to St. Michael. He
was a miracle-worker and those
miracles he accomplished, he
attributed to St. Michael. This
devotion developed in our
country, at least in our Arch-
diocese and in almost all of the
countries in Congo. There are
many movements of apostol-
ate dedicated to the devotion
of St. Michael. This is because
the first veteran priest, founder
of the first parish, dedicated it
to St. Michael. Many people go
there on pilgrimage.
This means that St. Mi-
chael should defend us in the
battle, in difficult moments.
You carry the torch of this
faith. One throws rocks only
on a tree that bears fruit. Re-
member this. Thank you for
the invitation. Thank you for
the fraternal reception that we
have received here. I think that
it is a bit in the image of the
first Christian community. Con-
tinue to “cast off into the deep”
(Luke 5:4), as Pope John Paul
II said.
Most Rev. Anatole Milandou
2010 session 41