L'engagement politique de l'eglise catholique au zaire (1960-1992)

The political commitment of the catholic church in zaire (1960-1992)

• Auteur / Autrice : Louis Ngomo Okitembo
• Direction : René Epp
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Sciences des religions
• Date : Soutenance en 1996
• Etablissement(s) : Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)

Résumé

Malgre ses ressources naturelles immenses, le zaire est devenu l'un des pays les plus pauvres du monde. De l'independance du pays, le 30 juin 1960, a la ''marche d'espoir'' du 16 fevrier 1966, l'eglise catholique a exerce un role politique non negligeable dans l'organisation de la societe au zaire. Dans la premiere partie, ''une eglise en quete d'identite'', nous montrons combien les eveques, tout en mettant progressivement en place ''une societe chretienne'' etaient favorables a l'emancipation politique du pays. Dans la deuxieme partie, ''une eglise au service de la nation'', nous decrivons le soutien mutuel entre l'eglise catholique et le regime mobutu, accuse de totalitarisme par mgr malula. Dans la troisieme partie, ''une eglise engagee pour un mieux-etre'', nous relatons le grand conflit entre l'eglise et l'etat en 1972, un conflit qui se transforme a l'affrontement entre le cardinal malula et le president mobutu, un conflit qui degenere a la persecution de l'eglise catholique et a l'exaltation de mobutu comme messie au meme titre que jesus-christ. Nous analysons enfin les differentes reactions de l'eglise catholique devenue, petit a petit, une force d'opposition au regime dictatorial de mobutu.

Despite its immense natural resources, zaire has become one of the poorest countries in the world. From the country's independence, june 30 th, 1960, until the ''march of hope'' february 16 th, 1992, the catholic church played an important political role in the organization of zaire's society. In the first part ''a church in search of identy'' we show how the bishops were favorable to the country's political emancipation, while progressively putting into place a ''christian society''. In the second part, ''a church at the service of a nation'', we describe the mutual support between the catholic church and the mobutu regime, accused of totalitarianism by bishop malula. In the third part, ''a church commited to more well-being'', we relate the great conflict between church andstate in 1972, a conflict which became a confrontation between cardinal malula aund president mobutu, a conflict which degenerated into the persecution of the catholic church and the exaltation of mobutu as messiah by the same right as jesus christ. Finally, we analyze the different reactions of the catholic church which has become, little by little, a force of opposition against the dicatorial regime of mobutu.