Contenu du sommaire : L'argent de Dieu.

The Christian Churches and the «let's not starve policy». The Christian Churches could not escape from the attractive power of what the Cameroonese call «the let's not starve policy», as neither the parties — whether nationalist or revolutionary — not the administrations could. Just as the colonial originated state has been, they are subject to a process of reappropriation by the african societies. They shelter social rise strategies, founded on an ethic of munificence, just as political behaviors most of times do. In that way, the Church institutions are part of the system elaborated by the authoritarian post-colonial regimes, and their economic activities participate in the money making, predatory logics those ones devolop. Consequently, they are stricken by the same weakening disease suffered by the political institution : exacerbate divisions between religious contractors. Different religious trends have criticized these affinities with this «let's not starve» way of governing, without however succeeding in breaking off with it.

Pastors facing the day-to-day life difficulties. The life conditions of a pastor are closely linked to the society in which he exerts his functions. He may be completely taken care of, or have to provide for himself. In rich parishes like Douala, pastors live within the community, in other ones, they retain a certain amount of freedom, participate in family solidarity. Shouldn't they be given a social status and precise rights, to be able to devote themselves to their priesthood, and properly play their part as preachers ?

How to be a priest in Brickfield. The Brickfield sector, in Yaounde, houses 30,000 persons. Alcohol, idleness, prostitution, cramming in, agressions, pollution, trafficking, are the unique environment of this slum. And yet, mosques, chapels, meeting rooms attract tremendous numbers of people. To really escape from such conditions, the Brickfield sector should be rebuilt : it is the only way of getting a general cleaning ut.

What of material needs in the catholic chruches in Africa : the case of Zimbabwe (1975-1987). In the first eighties, the Catholic Church of Zimbabwe benefited from illimited help from the agencies financing development. Independency deprived it of this monopoly. While it proclaims its objective of establishing a socialist society based on marxism, the state nevertheless contrives to show that there is basically no contradiction between christianism and socialism.

Mgr Dosseh, bishop of Lome. Mgr Dosseh exerts an extremely authoritative rule over his diocese. Official and underground grants are rarely used to reward the priests, but rather to finance the diocese fetes, and also the expenses of the Dosseh extended family. The power and prestige of the church are tarnished by the personnality of this bishop, who amasses shady deals.

The fight of the archidiocese of Douala. The archidiocese of Douala (Cameroon) has been the theatre of a violent polemic within the local clergy on the occasion of the appointment of two auxiliary bishops in 1987. The main documents of this church battle illustrate the strength of the faction antagonisms inside the Christian churches in contemporary Africa.