by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
“Development is impossible without upright men and women, without financiers and politicians whose consciences are finely attuned to the requirements of the common good. Both professional competence and moral consistency are necessary.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth)
Be viewing Ask Why TV programme on TCN (Channel 10), Tuesday, July 17 from 8 pm to 9 pm. Frs. Martin Sirju and Philip Cornelius will be discussing with me the theme: 50 years of Independence: Time for Spiritual Renewal. As we prepare to observe our 50th Anniversary of Independence, and move forward, we need spiritual renewal if we are to address the various social ills that beset us.
As Pope Benedict XVI said to American Catholics in April 2008, and reminded the US Bishops at their ad limina visit in May 2012: “We can only move forward if we turn our gaze together to Christ” and thus embrace “that true spiritual renewal desired by the Council, a renewal which can only strengthen the Church in that holiness and unity indispensable for the effective proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world.” He spoke about the “progressive weakening of traditional Christian values, and the threat of a season in which our fidelity to the Gospel may cost us dearly.”
Our country/world is in dire need of spiritual renewal. Pray incessantly for God to send His Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth. I used the quotation about “Development” above to create a poster for distribution at CCSJ’s workshop Saturday, July 7, at which about 35 Catholic business men and women gathered to discuss Cardinal Peter Turkson’s handbook: Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection. There are many nuggets of wisdom contained in this handbook. It incorporates some of the treasures of our faith – Catholic social justice principles.
On behalf of CCSJ members, I would like to thank His Excellency, Archbishop Nicolas Girasoli, Apostolic Nuncio for our AEC region, for joining us during the first session. Thanks also: to Frs Clyde Harvey, Garfield Rochard, and Adolfo Bueno for their excellent presentations at the workshop; to the eight discussion leaders who facilitated the group discussions; to TCN who taped and who will air the thrree presentations; and to CCSJ’s team who facilitated the smooth running of the workshop. CCSJ will be organising a similar workshop in Chaguanas parish later this year to provide a further opportunity for the Catholic business community to join in the conversation on Business Ethics.
Sadly, this workshop came in the wake of the Barclays Libor scandal in the UK- the rigging of inter-bank lending rates. Two high-profile Catholics are involved at the highest level. Read the free article in The Tablet (International Catholic News Weekly) by Paul Moore, July 7, entitled: “Called to account: Ethics of British banking”.
Let us pray for our two Catholic brothers and for all God’s children. We are all sinners who must strive to live righteous lives. Pope Benedict XVI’s words in Charity in Truth in 2009 are worth noting: “Today’s international economic scene, marked by grave deviations and failures, requires a profoundly new way of understanding business enterprise…In the long-term, these convictions (that the economy must be autonomous and shielded from a moral character) have led to economic, social, and political systems that trample upon personal and social freedom, and are therefore unable to deliver the justice that they promise.”
In December 2011, he blamed the European debt crisis on a crisis of faith: “…Europeis undergoing an economic and financial crisis, which is ultimately based on the ethical crisis looming over the Old Continent. Such values as solidarity, commitment to one’s neighbor and responsibility towards the poor and suffering are largely uncontroversial, but motivation is often lacking for individuals and large sectors of society to praise renunciation and make sacrifices.”
We must be financially “savvy” in T&T. Our recently installed Finance Minister has said that he foresees another deficit budget in the coming financial year. He said: “Clearly, a deficit is not sustainable in the long run, but countries do have deficits and countries are allowed to run deficits for a period of time before they get back into surplus.” We have a duty to think about those who come after us who will be burdened with such debt. As the IMF says: “Large and persistent deficits push up interest rates, reduce investment, and create a burden of indebtedness that is difficult for governments and taxpayers to bear…Most important, they compromise the living standards of current and future generations.” Let’s put people first.
