Page 82 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

A Better World Through Social Credit

Bishop Giorgio Bertin, born in Italy, is now Bish- brotherhood, we want Heaven to grow upon earth.
op of Djibouti, Africa, and apostolic administrator We want the teachings of love, of forgiveness, of
for Mogadiscio in Somalia. He took part in a study self-giving service, to be the driving ideas that will
session in Rougemont, in 2014. He has agreed to help us change the world, to transform it for all to
write the introduction to the Italian version of Alain see and in brotherhood, so there will no longer be
Pilote’s “Economic Democracy viewed in the light of millions of poor people who live in dire poverty and
the social doctrine of the Church”: a few wealthy people who live carefree, in luxury!
In May, 2014, I had the I am convinced that So-
pleasure of taking part in a cial Credit and these lessons
study session on Social Credit, on Economic Democracy can
also called Economic Democ- inspire our hearts and minds
racy. This seminar was organ- to no longer accept passively
ized by the Pilgrims of Saint Mi- the world as we know it to-
chael, in Rougemont, Canada. day. Social Credit, as offered
I listened attentively to the by C.H.Douglas and put forth
lessons that sparked many in- by Louis Even, invites us to
teresting discussions and ex- “dream”, to look forward to
changes amongst the partici- creating a new economy, to
pants. All of this took place in rewriting human history, to
an atmosphere of prayer and turn this earth into a “common
brotherhood fostered by the home”, to quote the words of
community of the Pilgrims of Pope Francis in his Encyclical
Saint Michael. Letter Laudato Si.
The Pilgrims have asked We do need to “dream”
me to proofread the Italian Bishop Bertin with our Directress because God has created us
version of these lessons. I Therese Tardif in Rougemont, in May, 2014 to “fly”, not to remain bogged
have also offered to write a down or grounded like rhinos!
version of these lessons in Somali which could later It was Icarus’s dream that lead man to create airplanes,
be aired on Vatican Radio. to fly in space and to visit the moon! It is the dream
I am convinced that the message conveyed by of Douglas and Louis Even—and many of their suc-
these lessons is meant to reach not only Christians, cessors, including the Pilgrims of Saint Michael—that
but all men and all peoples on earth. invites us to believe that a new world can be achieved
He who takes part in this study session or who by implementing a new kind of economy. To achieve
has read Alain Pilote’s book, thinks he is in a dream, this, we must fight and we must believe in it!
that he is in another world, a world without poverty, Let us allow ourselves to be fascinated and cap-
a world with no unemployment, a world that offers tivated by these lessons. Let us allow ourselves to be
sufficient means for everyone and for each people to taken “far away” that we may overcome the moun-
lead a dignified and serene life. tains of indifference, of social hatred, of economic
This dream seems to be the historical accom- injustice. Together we can truly transform this de-
plishment of the Acts of the Apostles: “The whole graded earth so as to render it more welcoming to
future generations. Let us not be satisfied with “what
group of believers was united, heart and soul; every- has taken place” (Acts 24:18) until now, but with our
body had more than enough, and nobody had too
little.” (cf. Acts 4:31-35.) hearts filled with joy and hope, let us return to Jeru-
salem, let us return to our roots and say “He has truly
This is astonishing. It feels like having “Heaven risen” (Acts 24, 34).
on earth”! Is this but a dream? At first, it would seem We can truly be “reborn”, we can live as though
that Social Credit is a dream meant to be achieved regenerated, better still, as “arisen”, to love one an-
only in heaven and not on earth. other as brothers and sisters, sharing all material and
What must we do then? Get rid of it? Return spiritual goods!
it to heaven? Abandon it to some utopist, to some Bishop Giorgio Bertin, ofm
saint or to some religious congregation? I don’t
think so! Since Heaven has descended upon earth Picture: On Sunday, May 11, 2014, Bishop Bertin and
in Christ’s Divine Person,(an extraordinary mystery the priests participating in our study session celebrat-
of the Christian Faith), with His message of love and ed Mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Quebec City,

2014 session