The prosperity gospel is infiltrating Catholic churches
The prosperity gospel – the idea that God will reward people who donate to their church – has long been influential among Pentecostal and charismatic movements in the global south. But in many parts of Africa it is now finding its way into the Catholic Church too.
Last month a senior bishop raised the alarm. Bishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Katiola (pictured), president of the Ivory Coast’s bishops’ conference, said such ideas were “ravaging our churches” and were no less than a heresy. It is not uncommon, he said, whether on radio or billboards, to see miracles being promised and “prosperity offered with waves of a magic wand”. Even Catholic priests were promoting such practices, he said.
