Transform and Renew This Nation

Catholic Charismatic Rally
Monday 31st May 2004

The National Stadium was the Upper Room of Pentecost this year. There was a mighty wind blowing constantly that even the potted palms on the walkway fell under the power. And they came, not from many nations as recorded in the scriptures, but from the different groups, organisations, confraternities of the One, Holy, Catholic Church.
Jesus Christ was in the midst, sacramentally, historically and mysteriously. Through the visible head of the Church, Archbishop Kelvin Felix, He sent his disciples out again with the great commission to go out and preach the kingdom to every parish - The Kingdom of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit. He encouraged the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to be forerunners of the mission to call all lapsed and lukewarm Catholics to “Come Home for Jubilee.” The Golden Jubilee Year of the Archdiocese of Castries will be opened on the feast of Christ the King in 2005 after a series of missions to be preached by the Redemptorists Fathers. Catholic Charismatic Renewal and indeed the whole Church was being sent by His Grace to bear witness of the power of the Holy Spirit to transform and renew this nation. Catholic Charismatic Renewal accepts the mandate!
This mandate however is encapsulated in the theme of the rally, “The Kingdom, of God; Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit. Fr. Jason Gordon, guest speaker for the occasion stood tall like Peter, “when Pentecost Day came round”, to proclaim that it was through the sacrifice of Jesus that we are called to righteousness. Righteousness, he defined as standing right in God’s presence. It embodies the whole of life. It is not clothing or something to be put on, or spiritual and religious exercises to be done. It is living right twenty-four seven in God’s presence. It is an ongoing process to bring every relationship in the right standing in God’s presence – not hiding but standing naked before God to be reconciled through the sacrifice of His Son. The analogy of Little Johnny who went to Church every Sunday but went to hell on Monday was used to emphasise righteousness as a way of right relationship rather than right things to do.
The peace that Jesus gave to His disciples is not the absence or war, but rather as Fr. Jason pointed out “working for justice”. Jesus sent the apostles out into the whole world to proclaim His kingdom, and that Kingdom is a kingdom of justice. To live in righteousness and peace is to work for justice to ensure that every member of the society benefits from the social amenities of the society; health, education, shelter, love freedom etc. Working for this peace is a challenge, but Jesus did not promise comfort in the world. What he promised is joy, from having to suffer for the sake of the kingdom. Fr. Jason describes that joy as a kettle. To coin his words, “It is when you have fire below, boiling water up to your neck and you whistling”. This is the joy that we are expected to have as we live in the Kingdom. It was a stirring talk on the theme, which no doubt left us questioning where we stand now in God’s presence.
The day wended down with some testimonies of the work of the Spirit in the lives of His people, and a moment of intercessory prayer before the Blessed Sacrament for the various needs of the nation. The Church had gathered with Mary and the apostles again for Pentecost in the Upper Room. Truly we felt the wind of the Spirit blowing. As we accept the commission to proclaim the Kingdom of God we want to be like the apostles – to upset the world for Christ and to advance The Kingdom of God; Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit.

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Cathedral Murder Trial

Appeal rejected

The Eastern Caribbean Appeal Court has rejected the plea of convicted Cathedral murders Kim John and Francis Phillip. In a ruling given on May 24 th , the three-member panel headed by Justice Brian Alleyne and including Justices Adrian Saunders and Michael Gordon, upheld the death sentence handed down by High Court Judge Indra Hariprashad-Charles on the 30 th April, 2003.

The defence, headed by Queen's Counsel Mr. Kenneth Foster, has vowed, according to the The Mirror newspaper, “to go to the Privy Council in London”. They had argued that the two accused were suffering from delusional disorder at the time of the incident and did not know the nature and consequence of their action. This argument had been shot down by prosecuting attorney Anthony Astaphan, who argued that the perpetrators had concocted “a willful, deliberate and premeditated” plan to burn down the Minor Basilica and the worshippers inside. The Justices evidently agreed with the prosecution.

The two convicted men are yet to show any signs of remorse. In court they continue to maintain a nonchalant posture. The death penalty which has now been upheld by the Appellate Court was for the brutal bludgeoning to death of Sr. Theresa Egan SJC, and for the subsequent death of Fr. Charles Gaillard who had been set ablaze. Several other persons were set on fire by the two men, some of whom had to be flown to Martinique and New York for treatment. Many are still deeply traumatized and hurting badly. To date, however, no civil suits have been brought against the two convicts.

Death By Hanging

The Eastern Caribbean Appeal Court has upheld the sentence of death by hanging handed down to the accused in the Cathedral Murder trial, Kim John and Francis Phillip. Defence Counsel, Mr. Kenneth Foster, Q.C. is reported in the national media to have said that he will take the case all the way to the Privy Council in London. How far the matter will get is anyone's guess. Whatever happens from here on, no one will dispute the fact that the failure of the defence's appeal marks a decisive stage in this whole painful saga. Perhaps for many of the victims it heralds a measure of closure.

We are abundantly aware that no matter what happens in the Courts, judicial decisions can never bring total closure to this barbaric episode, nor heal the gaping scars of the Catholic Church. No court decision can bring back Sr. Theresa Egan to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, nor restore the life of Fr. Charles Gaillard. There is a finality in death that only our Christian hope in the resurrection can make tolerable.

Then there are the living martyrs, who continue to be torched again and again each day as the innocent rays of the sun perpetuate a human atrocity. Words of sympathy, little kindnesses help, but the pain is too deep and the hurt searing. Healing, forgiveness, that may take a life-time and more. Every glimmer of hope must be a cause of celebration. For the rest the Church journeys with its wounded Body in patience and compassion. Court decisions don't help us here.

Throughout the trials the Catholic Church deliberately avoided making any statements which could have been interpreted as interference in the judicial process. This was a clear statement of the Church's respect for legitimate authority and the institutions established for the common good. Despite that position, the debate continued within the society on the pros and cons of the death penalty. Some were even heard to quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church that “in cases of extreme gravity” the death penalty is acceptable.

In the light of all that has happened in this case, it is useful at this stage to review the position of the Catholic Church on the death penalty. The Catechism of the Catholic Church places the issue of the death penalty within the context of its teaching on the Fifth Commandment “You shall not kill”. The sections in question are Articles 2258-2317. There are three (3) sub-sections (a) Respect for Human Life (b) Respect for the Dignity of Persons and (c) Safeguarding Peace. The death penalty is discussed under the first section “Respect for Human Life” which looks at Legitimate Defence, Intentional homicide, Abortion, Euthanasia, and Suicide.

It is in this context alone, namely ‘Respect for Life' and ‘The Dignity of Persons' that the Church's teaching on the death penalty can be properly understood. Any other context will invariably lead to misinterpretation. As the Bishops of the Caribbean said in their Pastoral Letter On Capital Punishment (2000):

…our teaching consistently promotes an “ethic of life” : Christians conform themselves to Christ by respecting the intrinsic dignity of every human person, and by cultivating the sacred gift of life. From the first moment of conception to the final moments of life in the process of natural death, we are called as Christians to contemplate God's love in the sacred and unique life of each person. Likewise, we are called to condemn personal and social behaviours that act against the sanctity of life : violence, murder, abortion, euthanasia. (Art.2).

The Catechism goes on to state that “Preserving the common good of society requires rendering the aggressor unable to inflict harm” and this is why the Catholic Church has always acknowledged “as well-founded the right and duty of legitimate authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty. For analogous reasons those holding authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against the community in their charge” (Art.2266). The use of the death penalty is hereby sanctioned. In practice the Church has always maintained that this should be used as a last resort and only when there is absolutely no other way of protecting society against an unjust aggressor.

The Catechism makes this very important conditionality “If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are in conformity to the dignity of the human person” (Art.2267). Here again we see the two cardinal principles of the Church's teaching on the human person clearly enunciated (1) respect for life and (2) the dignity of the human person.

This brings us to the case in point, the Cathedral murderers. Most persons will agree that the crime committed was perhaps one of the most heinous in the non-military history of St. Lucia. Some see it as one of “cases of extreme gravity” mentioned in article 2266 of the Catechism where the death penalty may be acceptable. This still does not answer the question of a “bloodless means”. The question is this : Is there no bloodless means by which the perpetrators of this brutal crime can be given penalties “commensurate with the gravity of the crime?” Punishment, says the Catechism, is meant to redress the disorder caused by the offence. It can also have the effect of preserving public order and the safety of persons. Finally punishment is supposed to have a medicinal value contributing to the correction of the offender.

Perhaps one of the most tragic aspects of the death penalty is its finality. It closes the door on hope. It preclude the power of God's grace to touch the human heart and lead to conversion. The death penalty says that there are some human beings whom we must give up on. Perhaps as human beings with all our own weaknesses and foibles we may give up on some people. Do we have the right to shut the door on God, suggesting that because we fail, God too will fail?

The State's right to protect the society cannot be denied. However, it is important that as we try to solve the problem of crime we do not resort to simply eliminating all those whom we consider dangerous. Because once this becomes a pattern and something sanctioned by the State, who is to stop people from thinking that the way to deal with people whom we consider dangerous is to eliminate them.Once this culture becomes ingrained in a community then the question becomes who considers who dangerous. We can see the consequences of that kind of reasoning in our world today.

The Holy Father himself has called for a consensus to end the death penalty, which he has describes as “both cruel and unnecessary.” He personally appealed to spare the life of the infamous Oklahoma bomber, Timothy McVey. The Catholic Bishops of the Caribbean have also stated: “To take away a person's basic right to immunity from fatal harm is to compromise his/her sacred dignity. We therefore reiterate our view that the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically non-existent, and we appeal for the development of a consensus among the people of the world to abolish capital punishment” (Art.33).

We understand that the position of the Catholic Church may not be the popular one. However, we believe that our principles and teaching can only enhance the development of human civilization. That is why our position is presented in the spirit of dialogue with civil society. What we bring to that conversation is a passionate love and respect for human life and the dignity of the human person.

AEC Annual Plenary Meeting in Curacao

The meeting began with a day's retreat during which the Bishops reflected on the recent letter of Pope John Paul II "Pastores Gregis" on the role of Bishops. At the end of the day, the Bishops were joined by the priests of the Diocese to celebrate a public open air Mass at the "Seru di Orashon" ("Hill of Prayer"), a spectacular new Marian shrine at the geographical centre of the island. The Mass was very well attended by the People of God, who showed their magnificent appreciation for the Bishops, and for their choice of Curacao for their annual meeting, 2004.

During the week of the meeting, the Bishops were handsomely lodged and fed at the beautiful new Guest House associated with the Shrine.

His Excellency Emil Paul Tscherrig, Papal Representative to the Region, attended the meeting, and addressed the Bishops on the most important topic -The Spirituality of Priests, the topic that had been chosen by the Bishops for full discussion with the priest representatives of the Provincial Associations of Diocesan Priests of the AEC.

That discussion, to which was added another on the Crisis of Vocations in the Caribbean, lasted a full day, and formed one of the highlights of the week-Iong meeting. Devoting one full day of the week to the priests and the priesthood denotes the measure of concern of the Bishops for their priests, and for a continued supply of these ministers of God, so necessary for the survival of the Church.

The Bishops discussed Reports from the various Episcopal Commissions of the Conference, dealing with matters like the Youth, the Liturgy, Ecumenism, the Biblical apostolate, Catechetics, the Antilles' relationship with the Conference of Bishops of Latin America (CELAM), various current social questions, etc.

During the week the Bishops attended a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the Church in Curacao, at which the Governor of the Central Bank presented to Bishop Luis Antonio Secco, the current Local Ordinary, portraits of all the Vicars Apostolic and Bishops of the Diocese from its inception. These were the work of local artist Sir Roald Schotborgh. The Governor of Curacao, Mr Frits Goedgedrag and his wife were also guests of the Bank for the occasion. The evening was brought to a highly successful conclusion by a banquet given by the Governor of the Central Bank.

The Regional Seminary Board also had its Annual Meeting during the week. The Bishops listened to, and fully discussed, the reports of Mgr Michael de Verteuil, Rector, and Dr Everard Johnston, Academic Dean, on the Courses of Study, and the spiritual life of the seminarians.

Finally, plans were initiated for representation of the AEC at the November 2005 Synod of Bishops in Rome. The theme of the Synod is the Eucharist.

At the end of the meeting, many of the Bishops journeyed on to Jamaica and the Bahamas for the installation ceremonies of their respective new Archbishops, Lawrence Burke, and Patrick Pinder .

U.S. AND A.E.C. Bishops meet over Haitian migration

A delegation of Bishops from the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) and a delegation from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) met in Orlando, Florida, May 27 th /28 th with delegates from the Haitian Episcopal Conference to discuss the migration of Haitians from their homeland. The American delegation was well represented by the staff of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) from Washington.

The purpose of the meeting was fourfold:

To strengthen the Catholic response toward migrants and the root causes that give rise to the need to migrate;

To enhance advocacy efforts for international development policies and resource commitments designed to create favorable conditions within Haiti that are sustainable;

To explore alternatives to desperate, clandestine departures from Haiti that too often have led to loss of life; and

To pursue appropriate structures for increasing the communications, coordination, and collaboration between the Episcopal Conferences on behalf of migrants.

At the end of the meeting the following Release was given to the Press, accompanied by an interview.

Resolution on Haitian migration

In this year in which the people of Haiti commemorate the nation's bicentennial of independence, representatives of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Antilles and the United States met with a representative of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Haiti on May 27 and 28, 2004, in Orlando, Florida to consider the question of Haitian migration.

We come together because of our grave concern with the ongoing violence and economic depravity in Haiti, which has given rise to conditions that undermine the basic human rights and dignity of all Haitians, rights imbued by the Creator. This violence, which is the latest of many decades of instability, has compelled many to seek protection elsewhere, risking their lives to find security and opportunity. The nation of Haiti continues to suffer unrest and extreme poverty which subjugates its people and undermines its future development. It is time to seek a long-term solution to this unrest and work to build a Haiti which fulfills the goals of those who fought for its independence two hundred years ago.

In a spirit of fraternal solidarity, we Bishops reaffirm our commitment to:

Strengthening the Catholic response toward migrants and the root causes that give rise to the need to migrate;

Enhancing advocacy efforts for international development policies and resource commitments designed to create favorable conditions within Haiti that are sustainable;

Exploring alternatives to desperate, clandestine departures from Haiti that too often have led to loss of life; and

Pursuing appropriate structures for increasing the communications, coordination, and collaboration between the Episcopal Conferences on behalf of migrants.

As Bishops committed to uphold the basic rights of the human person, we seek to protect the rights of Haitian asylum seekers and those who seek conditions worthy of human life outside of their native land. We also seek to address the root causes which give rise to migration. We call upon the governments of the region, including our own governments, to commit themselves and work together to achieve these same goals. We pledge to work with our governments and with the international community to build a just, democratic Haiti which provides security and economic opportunities for all Haitians.

As pastors heeding the call of Jesus Christ, to respond to “the least of our brothers”, we express our solidarity with the Bishops of Haiti and the Haitian people. We will continue to offer our assistance and prayers until the day all Haitians live in peace and dignity.

Participating Bishops:
Most Reverend Lawrence Burke, SJ
Archbishop of Kingston
President, Episcopal Conference of the Antilles
Most Reverend Kelvin Felix
Archbishop of Castries,
Chairman, Justice and Peace Commission
Most Reverend Patrick Pinder
Archbishop of Nassau
Most Reverend Francois Gayot
Chairman, CEH Commission on Migration;
Most Reverend Ernest Cabo
Bishop of Basse-Terre/Pointe-a-Pitre
Most Reverend Thomas Wenski
Coadjutor Bishop of Orlando
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration