Prorogued Parliament places Guyana in ‘uncharted territory’ - Catholic Bishop

Prorogued Parliament places Guyana in ‘uncharted territory’ – Catholic Bishop

Nov 13, 2014 News

Roman Catholic Bishop, Francis Alleyne, has been the first religious figure to state publicly his dismay

Roman Catholic Bishop, Francis Alleyne

with President Donald Ramotar’s decision to prorogue the National Assembly. Bishop Alleyne has joined the many calls that have urged the earliest reconvening of Parliament and has forwarded a few initiatives to strengthen the spiritual arm of the society.
The Bishop said that reconciliation and trust should be a tactic, given the current political divide.
He said, “The proroguing or suspension of Parliament puts Guyana into uncharted territory…Reconciliation and trust are critical to the process of restoring and building the nation.”
The Bishop has mentioned reconstituting the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church. “This body has a critical role to play in promoting the social teachings of the Church and providing leadership and inspiration to the Faithful,” the release said.
“There will be a process of engagement with parishes to pray, reflect, discuss, and discern the urgings of the Holy Spirit as it relates to justice and peace in Guyana.” The Bishop has invited two members of the Commission, Gino Persaud and Lawrence Lachmansingh, to lead this process.
The Bishop added, “Guyana – like my Church – needs both institutional and relational strengthening. We must find new ways of relating to each other, and better structures to support and encourage those improved relations.”
Bishop Alleyne said that in former times the Catholic Church was at the forefront of efforts to promote justice and peace in Guyana. “We have worked on many national issues, from elections to domestic violence to trafficking in persons.”
It was charged therefore that the Catholic’s limited capacities must not see the church focusing inwards.
“I pray that these two initiatives will lead to increased Catholic conviction and action that would bring all Guyanese to the full freedom…”
The Bishop called on Guyanese and their leaders “to ensure that we navigate these uncertain times peacefully, honestly and respectfully with a view to the earliest resumption of parliamentary democracy.”
“This crisis, this time of opportunity,” he said, “requires all Guyana to join hands and find solutions to both the immediate impasse and the long-term causes that led to it. I commit my support for initiatives that bring people together in common cause for our beloved country,” the religious leader said.
For some time now, the religious community has been mum on the political issues occurring within the country. Public comments have urged that the country’s political climate demanded spiritual intervention. The Central Islamic of Guyana (CIOG) told Kaieteur News when a comment was solicited in light of the current events, that they would not be making any announcement on the political impasse.
A representative from the Islamic body told the publication that their superiors had no comments to make on the ongoing issues.
Kaieteur News was also unable to get a response from the Inter – Religious Organization of Guyana (IRO). The Chairman of the organization told the publication that he will be considering any pronouncements, while comments could not be attained from the Hindu community.