Page 86 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

“I came and I saw!”

Testimony of Bishop Joachim Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso

Here are excerpts from the speech given by Most matic community whose members have faith in what
Rev. Joachim Hermenegilde Ouedraogo, Bishop of they do.
Koudougou in Burkina Faso, at the end of our Au- l I saw the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, a commun-
gust, 2015 study session in Rougemont on economic ity that testifies to the Good News.
democracy. (Please take note that a session in Eng-
lish only will take place in Rougemont August 21-28, l I saw the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, a commun-
2016. See back cover for more information.) ity concerned with mankind’s future.
l I saw the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, a commun-
My name is Joachim Hermenegilde Ouedraogo.
I am now the Bishop of the diocese of Koudougou ity that loves God and which goes to the outposts of
society to make Jesus Christ known, to make Jesus
in west central Burkina-Faso. In Christ loved, to foster the imita-
2004, I was appointed Bishop tion of Jesus Christ.
of the diocese of Dori, at the
far north of Burkina-Faso. The l I saw the Pilgrims of Saint
population there is mainly Mus- Michael, a community that has
lim, 95 percent Muslim and one and that will cause an earth-
percent Christian; a diocese the quake in today’s economic sys-
size of Belgium. From there, I tem.
was transfered to the diocese l I have seen lay people,
of Koudougou on November 4, men and women, priests and
2011. bishops who believe that good
I first met your MICHAEL will prevail over evil, that love
movement in 2011, through will prevail over hatred, justice
one of your directors, Marcel over injustice, generosity over
Lefebvre. I was then Bishop of selfishness, and economic dem-
Dori and Apostolic Administra- ocracy over the dictatorship
tor for the Koudougou diocese. of today’s worldwide financial
To make my story short, let us dictatorship. And it is you I am
say there are 370 kilometers be- speaking of!
tween the two dioceses. Each l I have also seen beautiful
time, I had to travel across two empty churches, witnesses of
dioceses before reaching Kou- the Church’s glorious past upon
dougou. I would spend two weeks in Koudougou, this Canadian land.
three days in Ouagadougou (the capital city), two These seven–what I was about to call–“visions”
weeks in Dori, and back again. This almost killed me have raised in me two questions: I have discovered
in the end. to some extent the present financial system and
Marcel insisted so much and spoke so highly of I have discovered that I am both exploited and ex-
MICHAEL and of the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, that I ploiter. After listening to Mr. de Siebenthal’s lesson, I
wrote on October 15, 2011, to answer the invitation could not sleep the following night. The teachings of
to take part to the March 2012 meeting and on Oc- Mr. Pilote and of all the other speakers have taught us
tober 17, I received the information needed for my how we are being exploited. Without being a math-
taking part. ematician, when I cast an empirical look at my past
But meanwhile, on November 4, 2011, I was and present life, I can see that I am being exploited,
made Bishop of Koudougou. My new responsibilities that we are being exploited. Our people are being ex-
left me with less time to accept ulterior invitations. ploited.
But Marcel’s tenacity won over other considerations. The diocese of Ouahigouya, where I come from,
He went so far as to use one of my relations, Father overflows with gold. There are two large mines in the
Patrice Savadogo of Ivory Coast, also present now, to diocese, and one of these mines was sacked by the
convince me to come. Muslims’ revolt against this exploitation. The diocese
I came and I saw! of Dori, in the far north, has many gold mines. The
l I saw the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, a charis- young people in the city of Youga once marched
against the mining authorities.

86 2015 session www.michaeljournal.org