PRESIDENT James Michel was among the large crowd attending Mass on May Day at Anse Royale. Michel likes crowds and the occasion was amply shown on television and other state media.
Parish priest David Alcindor availed of the occasion to show his partisan inclinations, being in his seventh heaven of delight that the President was at his parish. He was clearly grateful that the Government had contributed significantly towards the re-building of the
The Government had also contributed towards the building of the new church at Pointe Larue, whose inauguration Michel also attended in the lead-up to the 2006 presidential elections.
At Pointe Larue, however, Priest Lonnie Adrienne reminded everyone that if the government sees it fit to assist the Church, it was hardly a favour as the state had in the past taken over many properties which belong to the Catholic Church.
Government however assists the Church in a very selective way. It had, for instance, refused to help fund the church at Bel Ombre in any way. The main reason being that the parish priest is Father Edwin Mathiot, known for being outspoken and too opionated, hardly endearing to the regime.
Recently, Father Mathiot fearlessly declared that huge salary increases, along with gratuities for members of the cabinet, MNAs and other fat cats were completely unjustified, coming at a time when most Seychellois had to put up with great hardship.
In bygone days, the late Bishop Felix Paul had always resisted giving away church properties in exchange for donations from Government. He insisted on the Church's independence.
But the turning point came when his successor, Bishop Baronnet took over in the mid-1990s. Baronnet willingly signed an agreement with Government pertaining to Church properties to be used by the state. Hence the Catholic Church relinquished ownership of the ex-Regina Mundi Convent- now used as the headquarters of the Ministry of Education. In exchange, the Government undertook to ensure the renovation of the cathedral to the value of R6 million. This included a R 5 million loan, which Government agreed to write off.
The Church also gave the state control over some 20 schools on the main islands, through a 99 year lease for the symbolic sum of ONE RUPEE.
A claim for compensation of the properties was lodged before Baronnet's arrival. But he said the negotiated settlement put an" end to a conflictual situation" that could harm church- state relations.