by Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice
CCSJ will be sending to parishes copies of the September issue of our Parish Link Newsletter which contains articles to assist you as you prepare to observe Respect for Life Week Sept 26 – Oct 3
The Newsletter is also accessible on CCSJ’s website and includes articles on Poverty and social exclusion by Gary Tagallie, parishioner of Sts Philip and James, Chaguanas. He has agreed to chair the parish Social Justice Committee. Gary works with the Ministry of People and Social Development as Programme Director, Poverty Reduction Programme; Justice for disabled persons by Beverly Beckles, CEO of The National Centre for Persons with Disabilities; and Environmental Justice by Nigel Cassimire parishioner of St Theresa’s, Woodbrook. Read the full text of these and other articles on CCSJ’s website.
Pope Benedict XVI urges us in his encyclical, Charity in Truth, to promote integral human development, i.e., the development of all the dimensions of a person and of each person. If we are to respect ALL life, we must monitor and evaluate how policies, programmes and practices in T&T impact on the lives of our people. What is the quality of life of our people in T&T/the world?
Inter alia, Gary says: “As Catholics, followers of Christ, we are called, rather, mandated by God, to have a preferential option for the poor…justice is tested and judged by how we treat the poor and vulnerable, it is not optional…The most effective way of addressing poverty and social exclusion has to be at the parish level.” He suggests action that parishes can take e.g.
“Our pastoral plans must include strategies to address poverty, unemployment, underemployment and social exclusion in all their manifestations… once we follow God’s plan there should be no poverty; human indignity; abuse of human rights; social exclusion; social scourges; racial, religious and cultural discrimination.”
Beverly warns that “there are huge costs to society if it fails to consider and include persons with disabilities…We must strive for a ‘Society for All’ in which policy will state clearly the goal of an inclusive society for all; that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and social justice; a society within which persons with disabilities have a voice and a key role to play.”
There are so many life issues to address in our society/world. Did you observe UN International Literacy Day last week (September 8)? In his encyclical, On the Development of Peoples, Pope Paul VI referred to illiterate people as “starved spirits.” How many “starved spirits” roam our streets in T&T? Because our statistical data in T&T are out of date, we operate on “guesstimates” about the real level of poverty and illiteracy.
Illiteracy negatively impacts on many areas of an individual’s life, e.g. health, employment, welfare, financial status. “Literacy empowers and nurtures inclusive societies and contributes to the fair implementation of human rights”(UNESCO).
We must develop a national literacy policy and ensure, as The International Reading Association’s position statement on literacy and technology states, that students “become proficient in the new literacies of information and communication technologies…literacy educators have a responsibility to effectively integrate these technologies into the literacy curriculum.”
Zenit recently reported on a symposium in Buenos Aires on the “Christian Spirituality of Ecology” (Aug 21-24) – organised by the Justice and Solidarity Department of the Latin American Episcopal Conference and involving participants from 16 countries.
Participants warned: “We are witnessing a growing environmental destruction through deforestation, contamination due to industrial and urban residues, opencast mining, extensive mono-cultivation, the growth of desertification, extraction of hydrocarbons, among other things, which also affect vital resources such as fresh water and natural provision of foods for peoples, especially among the poorest.”
Inter alia, they call on local communities and families “to promote a culture of sobriety and simplicity… responsible consumption, recycling, the adequate use of goods and education in respect for nature that makes possible present conditions of social justice and the life of future generations.”
CCSJ urges each person and each parish to plan effectively to observe RFLW. Let us also respect our own lives by following the example of the prodigal son in today’s Gospel. Let us come to our senses, commit during RFLW to turn away from sin and return to our Father (Luke 15:11-32). It’s never too late to reconcile with God, neighbour, creation and self.
