Thank God, the mpiandry chased away the devoly yesterday during a rather strange evangelical folklore event in a secular republic. We hope this time will be different, but we've already seen them exorcise demons in Mahazoarivo in 2002, in Ambohitsorohitra in 2009, and in Iavoloha in 2025. Despite all these years of watching the mpiandry perform in this manner, the defects and defective members of the political class remain ever present. In the absence of wisdom, we must at least have the courage to meditate on Einstein's words: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Even without resorting to Marxist ideology, we know that religion is the opium of the people. It allows them to forget their daily difficulties, hoping for better days in some heavenly paradise. The fatalism this generates is quite useful to leaders, as it promotes calm amid the storm. Let us also recall a saying from our own culture that teaches us that some pray on Sunday only to steal chickens on Monday. Wisdom would therefore suggest maintaining a certain distrust of modern-day Pharisees who display their religiosity as a totem of immunity, even impunity. Religion serves as a shop window for public figures, but what lies behind is not always appealing. We can only hope that all the show-offs from yesterday on May 13th Square can be given the benefit of the doubt. This event recalled the style of forongony and their religious theatrics under Rajoelina: religious demonstrations at Barea Stadium; the deluded Rija Rasolondraibe who claimed God had already spoken to the former DJ before entrusting him with Madagascar's destiny; the eccentric Hery Rasoamaromaka who went to cry on the shoulder of the President of the FJKM Protestant Church to complain about a sermon from his deputy; Christine Razanamahasoa's prayer sessions at the Justice Ministry or National Assembly; Lalatiana Rakotondrazafy, organizer of weekly prayer cells at Andohalo, filming herself singing (off-key) "tsy izay lazain'ny olona Jesosy" at an evangelical concert; and even Rajoelina's project for a Palace of Praise with the highest steeple in the Indian Ocean. It's even said that his sister and mother are heavily involved in sects. And yet... all these religious theatrics by Rajoelina and his circle did not prevent mpiandry from supporting the 2009 coup. It did not prevent Rajoelina and his ruling clan from accumulating corruption scandals, from Mamy Ravatomanga to Herilaza Imbiky, passing through the flat-screen affair or the arrest of Romy Voos. It did not prevent stories of dissolute behavior involving power hierarchs. It did not prevent hundreds of billions of ariary and 400 vehicles from disappearing, according to the Court of Accounts report. And so on. The habit does not make the monk. Regarding the piety of Malagasy politicians, experience is worth more than theory. The past illuminates the present and helps anticipate the future. Mixing politics and religion is neither healthy nor reasonable, and certainly not constitutionally acceptable. What Madagascar needs is not an army of bigots and prayer sessions, but honest judges, uncorrupted civil servants, leaders aware of the sacred nature of their function, authorities and citizens committed to the rule of law, businesses that pay their taxes, ministers who truly work for the well-being of their fellow citizens, and so on. Can religion help achieve these objectives? Theoretically, yes. But when we look at the number of churches, sects, pastors and reverends or bishops over decades, we must acknowledge that this has done nothing to improve the country's overall situation. These theatrics serve little purpose, except to help Malagasy people endure the incompetence and lack of integrity of their leaders with stoicism, and to provide sect pastors with substantial tithes. But until proven otherwise, we have yet to see concrete results in the country's life, whether in terms of GDP level, Corruption Perception Index, or civic and citizen values in the population. We even have the impression that indicators are worsening as politicians deepen their flirtation with religion. One wonders if, in his systematically disappointed hopes, the vahoaka will be reduced to becoming a mpiandry an'i Paoly. Rwanda's experience of prohibiting exercise to pastors without theological training should inspire us. Faith is a good thing, religion too. But they must not be instrumentalized for political purposes or serve as a pretext.