The first thing SPUP/SPPF/Parti Lepep did on seizing power
on 5th June 1977 was to seize all the schools owned by the Catholic Church.
James Michel was one of those who carried an AK47 on that day. Later lands
belonging to the Catholic Church were seized without compensation! That's how
good a Catholic Michel is.
The below message from the first Seychellois Catholic Bishop
of Port Victoria, Felix Paul, was first published in 1991. Twenty four years
later, it still remains highly relevant. Bishop Paul was a Seychellois who
lived through the one party state and witnessed firsthand life at the time. He
thought, acted and felt like a Seychellois. Since his retirement and subsequent
death, the country is still to have another native Seychellois Catholic bishop.
Extracts from the message
"But does all this suffice to constitute democracy? To
guarantee liberty? To speak of unity?
Are we not rather witnesses of certain tensions and
divisions, a certain step backwards on the human level and contempt for the
rights of man?
Families had to go into exile for political reasons.
Citizens have disappeared. There have been assassinations, arbitrary
imprisonments, rebellions, and attempts to overthrow the power. An atmosphere
of fear has been established paralysing the free expression of the citizens.
Men wish to participate in political life but they are prevented or are afraid
of being victims of sanctions.
Isn’t it the proof that the totalitarian regime fostered by
the one-party is not conformed to the legitimate aspirations of the population?"
Church Democracy and respect for the
rights of man
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Seychelles
1) The actual situation of our country, disturbed by the
debate about the freedom of political choice and the establishment of democracy
in Seychelles, cannot leave the church indifferent. In fact, she feels herself
directly concerned, as always, when the Man's legitimate aspirations, his
dignity and his fundamental rights are at stake. On that account i feel it my
duty to speak out in order to enlighten the conscience of the faithful and to
reply to the question out by numerous citizens of different allegiances,
whether religious or cultural. I wish also to speak out because the church
feels itself in solidarity with the whole community of Seychelles.
TO DEFEND MAN
2) There is no other reason for this statement but the
sacred duty to defend man, his rights and his liberty. And so we are in line
with the universal church, her social doctrine and the Second Vatican Council,
but above all, the last encyclical of John Paul ll, ''Centesimus Annus".
In this last
document, the Pope presents in fact, points for reflection which are
fundamental for our church, but also for the whole civil and political society
of our country.
Here then is the reflection which I propose for you all and
which could help us to get over the present tense situation in country.
COLLAPSE OF THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM
3) The socialist system which derives from the Marxist
principles has everywhere shown its inability to construct the new society
envisaged a century ago.
Against the socialism which proclaims itself atheistic and
which loses sight of the sense of common human dignity, the church has affirmed
and continues to do so energetically that every man, whatever his personal
convictions bears in himself God’s image and so deserves respect.(C.A. n.22)
Marxism, writes the Pope, pledged itself to root out from
man’s heart the thirst for God, but the results have shown t to be impossible
without disturbing the heart of man. (C.A.n.24)
The denial of God deprives a person of its roots, and so,
encourages the reorganisation of the social order without taking account of the
person’s dignity and responsibility. (C.A.n.13)
Furthermore the failure of socialism stands as a warning for
all those, who in the name of political realism, wish to banish right and
morality from politics. (C.A.n.25)
THE TOTALITARIAN REGIME’S
ERROR
4) The totalitarian regime is the natural consequences of
the Marxist system. The Encyclical Centesimus Annus, gives us a picture of this
form of totalitarianism. We give it here while remarking that, it treats of the
same form of the totalitarian state installed in Seychelles from 1977 to today.
In the modern epoch has existed the totalitarianism which in its
Marxist-Leninist form, considers that some man, on account of a deeper
knowledge of the laws of development of society, or because of their particular
class and of their nearness to the more living sources of the collective
conscience, are exempt from error and so can arrogate to themselves the
exercise of absolute power. (C.A.n.44)
WHAT THE CHURCH AFFIRMS
5) The church rejects Marxism and every form of totalitarian
regime. Therefore we firmly declare that
.every man has been created by God in his image
.every man has been created free
.every man should be respected in his rights and dignity.
That means that the church which carries on Christ’s Mission
on earth, has the duty of defending Man, the visible image of the invisible
God, while demanding of the Political Power, respect for his rights and
liberties. “The rights of Man and his fundamental liberties are inherent in all
human beings, inalienable and guaranteed by the law. The first responsibility
of governments is to respect, preserve and observe them and to exercise them
fully, given their basis in liberty, justice and peace”. (Charter of the
European Community) it is only on this condition that one can truly speak of
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
In a recent publication concerning Church-State relations,
the Catholic Bishops of Vietnam, meeting at Hanoi from the 6th to
the 12th April 1991, declared: “Always and everywhere people aspire
to authentic democracy: that it has rights that has the possibility of giving
its own opinion, that it be permitted to manifest its own convictions, that the
rights of Man be respected”.
(Episcopal Conference of Vietnam).
MAN AS AN INDIVIDUAL
Man as an individual has the rights to:
.freedom of thought, of conscience, and of religion,
.freedom of expression,
.freedom of association, and of peaceful assembly,
.freedom of movement.
No one shall be subject to arrest or arbitrary detention, to
torture or to any other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Every individual has the right to know his rights and have
them appreciated; to participate in free and sincere elections; to be judged
fairly and publicly if he is accused of a crime: to enjoy his economic, social
and cultural rights.
MAN AS THE FAMILY
Man as a member of the family, has “ the right to life which
forms an integral part of the right to grow in his mother’s womb after his
conception, then the right to live in a
united family and a favourable climate for development of his personality; the
right to develop his intelligence and his liberty by the search for knowledge
and truth; the right to participate in the work of enhancing the goods of the
earth and drawing from it his livelihood and that of his relatives; the right
to freely found a family; to welcome and bring up children while exercising a
responsible sexuality” (C.A.n.47)
“The parents have the first and inalienable right to educate
their children…….. they should enjoy a true liberty in the choice of school”. (Council
Vatican ll, Declaration on Christian Education, n.6)
MAN IN SOCIETY
Man, as a member of society, has the right to live in a free
community which respects all his rights. For that, “the church appreciates the
democratic system, as the system which assures the participation of the
citizens in political choices and guarantees the possibility of choosing and
controlling their rulers or of replacing them in a peaceful way when that seems
opportune”. (C.A.n.46)
At the basis of democracy is the right of all citizens of
different opinions without discrimination to participate in the political life
and the well-being of the country, whether in freely choosing its rulers or in
freely seeking political responsibility. Therefore, democracy really exists in
a country when it is shown in the presence of many political parties
(Multiparty regime)
DEMOCRACY IN
SEYCHELLES FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
Here questions arise: are citizens rights in Seychelles
actually respected? Have we true democracy in our country? True liberty?
Let us recognise first of all that our country has certainly
made progress in the material domain as regards the standard of living. At the
present our community has advantages in the provision of free health care for
all; in old-age pensions; improved conditions in work; and effort has been made
in the domain of housing. The youth can enjoy sports and the children have
classes’ free and free meals.
But does all this suffice to constitute democracy? To
guarantee liberty? To speak of unity?
Are we not rather witnesses of certain tensions and
divisions, a certain step backwards on the human level and contempt for the
rights of man?
Families had to go into exile for political reasons.
Citizens have disappeared. There have been assassinations, arbitrary
imprisonments, rebellions, and attempts to overthrow the power. An atmosphere
of fear has been established paralysing the free expression of the citizens.
Men wish to participate in political life but they are prevented or are afraid
of being victims of sanctions.
Isn’t it the proof that the totalitarian regime fostered by
the one-party is not conformed to the legitimate aspirations of the population?
Material progress is not enough. We must recall what the
gospel says; “man does not live by bread alone”. Our country feels the lack of
something more essential. It feels that there are values which one has sought
to stifle; the liberties and fundamental rights of our society
In fact those who wish to express a political opinion
contrary to that of the ruling power are automatically treated as serpents,
racists or opportunists seeking their privileges or interests, as traitors or
enemies of the people. That goes against true democracy and fundamental rights
of man.
THE CHURCH IS SOLIDLY BEHIND LEGIMTIMATE
ASPIRATIONS
7) The situation of dissatisfaction and anxiety manifests
the aspiration of the people of Seychelles to become free again, to build its
future in true democracy.
The church welcomes
these legitimate aspirations of the people. She also remains attentive to the
actual signs which favour the setting up of democracy in the country. On this
subject we remark with satisfaction that ray of hope which came for the country
in the president of the republic’s address on the 5th June. It is
the question of a referendum. Although not recognizing the principle of the
referendum, the church sees there are occasion for the expression of their
aspirations for a democratic society where there would be a place for the
opinions of different political parties. The prolonging of the actual system of
one-party. Constitutes an affront to the way rights accrue to the citizens and
it would keep the country in situations of injustice and tension.
APPEAL TO THE
CONSCIENCE OF ALL
8) We represent these lines of reflections as an expression
of our fidelity to the gospel, as love of the truth, as the defence of man to
proclaim peace in freedom and to encourage the spiritual moral and material
progress of our country.
We are confident of the sense of responsibility of those who
rule the country that they may acknowledge that the church in Seychelles is at
the service of man, that they may understand that the church’s only intention
is to help to promote an irreversible process of democratization which will
finally do them honour as rulers and would contribute to the stable welfare,
spiritual and human of our people.
May God enlighten all of us church, citizens and rulers.
We ask the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Queen of Seychelles, to
obtain for us the grace to be renewed by the Holy Spirit, in our hearts and in
our will to choose what is best for Seychelles and to realise it in peace, love
and liberty.
Yours devotedly
+FELIX PAUL
Bishop of Port-Victoria
