Page 75 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

Speech of Bishop Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan of Gabon

at the Synod of Bishops in Rome for the New Evangelization

“Social Credit: a financial system exempt from debts

at the service of man. This structure, inspired by the

Holy Spirit, will help the Church and all of humanity.”

We have rarely seen a Bishop deinde philosophari (live first,
as enthusiastic as the Most Rev philosophize later) and we
Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan, can add mutatis mutandis
Bishop of Port Gentil in Gabon, add primum vivere deinde
who attended our most recent evangelizzari. (Having made
week of study last August, who the necessary changes, first
proudly wore the white beret, live, then evangelize.)
spoke with unusual eloquence
and vigour at our Congress (see Evangelization – which
the previous issue of MICHAEL), has as its target the making of
going as far as to say that the saints, sanctifying the Name
whole world will become in favor of God the Father, building his
of Social Credit! He had prom- Kingdom, doing His will (cf.
ised us that after his departure Pater Noster) – is often hin-
from Rougemont, that his fervour dered by basic needs which
would not fade. He even said we call economy or bread. It
that he would talk about us at is noted from original sin (Gn
the Synod in Rome for the New 3:1-24) to the first seven dea-
Evangelization in October, since cons (Ac 6:1), without forget-
he was one of the Bishops invited ting other places of present
at the Synod. (Over 250 Bishops and past history: the econ-
from all over the world had been omy is present in all human
invited, each one being allowed activities.
to speak for five minutes.) Bishop Madega during his speech
Well, Bishop Mathieu did us at the Synod (Copyright Photo Service – For us, the present eco-
disappoint us, far from it! He kept L’Osservatore Romano 2012) nomic crisis is therefore for
indeed his promise, and made a the Church a kairos of the
fantastic speech at the Synod of Bishops in Rome, new evangelization. We therefore propose –
on October 17. He spoke in Italian, and mentioned such as the Pontifical Academy for the politic-
the Pilgrims of St. Michael, the Louis Even Institute al or diplomatic sector – the creation of a new
and Social Credit, “a debt-free financial system at the structure for the economic or finance sector. A
service of man. This structure, inspired by the Holy structure based on ecclesial experience: mon-
Spirit will help the Church and all of humanity.” More- asticism, religious communities, prelatures, ec-
over, Bishop Mathieu has plenty of projects in mind to clesial movements, Focolari with the economy
make us known in Africa and any place it could bear of communion, the Pilgrims of St. Michael and
fruit. Here is the full text of his speech at the Synod: the Louis Even Institute with Social Credit: a
In No.51 of the Instrumentum Laboris (in- financial system exempt from debts at the ser-
strument of work), we find what we call the vice of man. This structure, inspired by the Holy
five sectors: – 1. The cultures sector; – 2. The Spirit will help the Church and all of humanity.
society sector; –3. The economics sector; – 4. “Give me neither poverty nor riches, grant me
The civic life sector; – 5. The religion sector. An only my share of food, for fear that, surrounded
unhappy crowd, faced with these sectors, that by plenty, I should fall away and say, ‘Yahweh -
must choose one of them, would first enter into who is Yahweh?’ or else, in destitution, take to
the economic sector in order to meet its basic stealing and profane the name of my God” (Pr
needs, according to the famous: primum vivere 30:8b-9).

www.michaeljournal.org 2012 session 75