by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago’s Independence, let us acknowledge the many ways in which the Catholic Church has contributed to building a just, fraternal society in T&T, the region, and internationally. The Catholic community remains the largest faith community in T&T/the world. Catholics have a biblical mandate to build a just society. Our scriptures are replete with examples of the need for us to build God’s Kingdom of justice e.g.
“This is what the Lord asks of you, only this: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
“… let justice flow like water, and integrity like an unfailing stream” (Amos 5:24).
“The Lord loves virtue and justice…” (Psalm 33:5) and see Psalms 82:3-4,106:3 & 140:12; Proverbs 28:5 & 29:7; Deuteronomy 16:20 and 27:19; Job 37:23; Leviticus 19:15; Jeremiah 22:3; Isaiah 1:17, 10:1-2; 30:18; 51:4-5, 61:8; Ezekiel 34:15-16; Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 12:18, 23:23 & 25:45; Luke 10:30-37 & 11:42; and Acts 17:30-32.
Our mandate to build a just society also comes from the Church’s social doctrine/teaching, which, as the USBishops remind us, “provides us with a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of our society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents.” As the Synod of Bishops 1971 document, Justice in the World (6) states: “Action on behalf of justice is a constitutive dimension of preaching the Gospel.” Since Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum (On the condition of the working classes), our Popes have been urging us to act for justice.
The Bishops of the Antilles Epicopal Conference (AEC) and the Catholic Church in T&T have been faithful to the Church’s mission over the past 50 years. We have been fortunate to have had excellent shepherds over the years. In this article, I wish to focus specifically on the lead that our Archbishops have taken to promote justice since 1962.
When we gained our Independence, Count Finbar Ryan OP was our Archbishop and participated in key Independence Day celebrations. We remember how much he did to advance Catholic Education. His concern to promote the dignity of each person and integral human development – key social justice principles, led him to encourage the Holy Ghost Fathers to open FatimaCollegeand he invited the Presentation Brothers and the Holy Faith Sisters from Irelandto come to T&T. The rest is history. Caribbean Catholic states: “The church was the effective pioneer in the spread of secondary education in the years after World War II. Above all, Archbishop Ryan sought to make his church strong and he stood ready to defend against all-comers.”
Our first local Archbishop, Gordon Anthony Pantin, CSSp, consecrated in 1968, promoted justice in many ways. The then Fr Jason Gordon – now Bishop Gordon – called him a “reconciler and bridge builder” who fought “for the integrity of life on the national stage”
“His first years were marked by several history-making decisions – the young Archbishop’s sympathy for the marchers in the 1970 Black Power movement; his move to Laventille as parish priest; his support for the decision of the Caribbean Conference of Churches to boycott the Governor General’s reception on the grounds that the prolonged state of emergency was unjust…we think of his fight against abortion, and falling values in every area; his defense of the poor and those on death row, his work for inter-religious dialogue and Christian unity. A crucial moment was his intervention in the 1990 coup, where his voice on radio had an incredibly calming effect on the population…”
“In this multi-religious nation he built bridges of dialogue, tolerance and cooperation between the major religions (IRO), and between theChristianChurches(Christian Council ofTrinidad and Tobago). Where before there was suspicion, discord and outright oppression he sought to bring understanding, humour and trust.
“In the social sphere, through his personal integrity, he built bridges between rich and poor, both sides experiencing the freedom to approach him and being assured of a warm welcome. Between the condemned criminals and the rest of the society he stood as a sign of reconciliation…In 1970 he stood between the young radicals who he believed had a legitimate cause, and the rest of society, stricken by fear. In 1990, again as bridge builder he intervened. Again in 1999 from his sick bed in Miamihe intervened between Prime Minister and President” (http://livingwatercommunity.com).
Archbishop Pantin passed away in March 2000 after serving faithfully as Archbishop for almost 32 years.
In 2001, Archbishop Edward J Gilbert, CSsR was consecrated ninth Archbishop of our Archdiocese. Justice was at the heart of his work throughout the three sittings of Synod, and in the priorities he identified for the various Archdiocesan Departments as he reorganised and restructured them. One of his legacies is the clear Archdiocesan Mission Statement that emanated from the third sitting of Synod. We are all charged to build the civilisation of love through three pastoral priorities. We remember also e.g. his series of breakfast meetings with key stakeholders in 2003 to mobilise the entire community to reduce crime and violence; his contribution to the three-day Pro-Life Conference in 2004 entitled: “Love, Life and The Family”; his approval of CCSJ’s Framework towards an Archdiocesan Environmental Policy in 2010; and his support during Respect For Life Week over the past few years. See CCSJ’s 2011 AGM report for his excellent presentation at the launch of the Week. Archbishop Gilbert retired in December 2011.
Since Archbishop Joseph Harris’ installation as the tenth Archbishop of Port of Spain, he has made it clear that he, and indeed all of us, “have been called and chosen for the rebuilding of harmony in our Archdiocese, in our country.” This calls to mind Pope Paul VI’s statement: “If you want peace, work for Justice.” There can be no harmony without justice.
Read the transcript of Archbishop Harris’ presentation on Shepherd’s Corner on February 2 (see CCSJ’s website), entitled: Death Penalty: The Value of Life, in which he reminds us that, “God is the author of life. All life must be respected.” Inter alia, he urges us to integrate our faith with our daily lives and to do something for Jesus every day.
Pope Benedict XVI reminds Catholics that the Church “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice”. We are living in a time when social ills such as moral relativism, individualism, selfishness, social exclusion and economic injustice threaten our society/world and stand as obstacles to building the common good. Let us grasp the opportunity provided by T&T’s Jubilee to commit ourselves to walk with the two feet of Christian service – works of mercy and works of social action. There is much work to do in the Lord’s vineyard. As well as our priests and Religious, Catholic individuals and organisations such as Living Water Community, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Eternal Light Community, Zion Community, continue to labour faithfully in the vineyard. May the Holy Spirit fill us with wisdom and grace as we seek to build his Kingdom of justice, peace, truth, love and freedom.
This article appeared in a special 50th Anniversary of Independence supplement in the Catholic News September 2, 2012 issue. SEE OTHER ARTICLES
