Page 59 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

We have the examples from the Bible. It is in this omy that gives the priority to the human person.
sense that David found himself in front of Goliath. Thank you for your hospitality and amiable fraternity.
When you read the story of David, you see that Gol- Now, the expression “Pilgrims of St. Michael” is not
iath recalled his victories and said to David: “Who only an expression for us, it is the will of a group of
are you? I can crush you!” David said, “I come to men and women to trace a new way in the manage-
you in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth (the Lord of ment of the world economy.
Hosts)!” He did not advance until David came to- What struck me, in
wards him in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth. And in general, is the vision of
the end it was David who had the upper hand. So things. After a week of
this could be a repetition of the story of David and study on social credit, I
Goliath. admire today the intel-
Bishop Bernard Kasanda, of the diocese of Mbu- ligence of Douglas, the
ji-Mayi and in the Democratic Republic of Congo : audacity and courage
Of all the texts in the he had to trace this new
manual of the 10 Les- route, a different route
sons, there are many that that is admitted to and
followed by the rest of
edified me but especially the world. He proposed
the passage on pages another route that per-
177-178: “What would
be infinitely better, mits man to be liberated
would be to correct the and to be responsible for what he produces. In this
way, man is liberated of an economic system that
problem at the source, to makes him a slave, a system that above all has a
attack the causes of pov- goal of egoistic profit. We must dare to trace a road
erty and to re-establish
each human being in his against all opposition; you see now, what is my in-
rights and his dignity of a terpretation of the genius of this man. And for this,
we must have a good dose of prophetic courage.
person created in the image of God, having a right When we study the prophets of Israel, we realize that
to the necessities of life.” each had a message to transmit and this message
And the text continues with a quote from Pope answered a precise problem. In his time, Douglas
Paul VI (taken from his encyclical Populorum Pro- saw a problem but he was the only one who said:
gressio: “More than anything else, he who is ani- “No, there is another way to see the problem and to
mated with true charity is ingenious to discover organize the economy in the world.”
the cause of poverty and to find way to fight it, The merit of Louis Even was great, to assimi-
and to resolutely overcome it.” And the author of late the economic theory of Douglas, and I liked this
the book continues: “What we need are apostles to phrase that Douglas said on the subject of the work
educate the population on the Social Doctrine of of Louis Even: “After my death, if you wish to have
the Church and concrete solutions to apply it, such an explanation about Social Credit, you must refer
as the financial proposals of Social Credit.” to Louis Even; it is he who understood the best.”
For me, this is the essential element. To go to- This means that Louis Even understood Social Cred-
wards a concrete application, we must educate the it and had undertaken to apply it because he gath-
population. At home, I give myself the duty to have ered around him a whole community, the group of
the lessons translated into Tshiluba, the language people of whom you are a part.
spoken in my diocese. And I would like to do some- I really appreciate what you teach because
thing as well for the world, to share the ideas that through Social Credit, you wish to resolve the prob-
hide the unheard of riches of our Church, these rich- lem of misery and poverty while destroying the evil
es that are synthesized here by Douglas and were at its roots. What causes me to rejoice is that you
taken up in the spirit of the Church by Louis Even. are not only at the service of an Africa that is under
You, Pilgrims of St. Michael, you have work to do. constant infusion; but you intervene all over the
With Mary on one side and St. Michael on the other, world. Misery and poverty does not only concern
why should you be afraid? one country or continent; all these grave problems
Most Rev. Samuel Kleda, archbishop of Douala concern the entire world. When we discover that
in Cameroon: the system in which we live was invented by a man
Thank you for the occasion that you have given and that it can be changed if men wish, it becomes
me to know you and to live your conviction concern- very revolting. How is it that the banks become the
ing Social Credit, another way to organize the econ- owners, the masters of what we produce! Here is
the problem, here is the revolt.

www.michaeljournal.org April, 2011 session 59