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Closure of Roman Catholic Churches for September

Sep 11, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

The decision was made to close all Roman Catholic Churches (‘the church’) in Guyana for September. I disagree with it; do not like it, but have to support it, because I understand what drives it. This is how my mind and standards work: there is an appreciation for the pros and cons that went into what I know to be a hard decision. But it was made, after what I consider a frank and fair review of risks versus benefits; both the potential upside and the now lived with harsh flaring downside.
My first inkling, not wholly unexpected, came from a well-respected source outside of the Roman Catholic faithful; and she is a faithful one, too, in her part of the ecclesiastical sphere. From inside the church, the fallout has been a blowup and blowout. It is a storm that has to be weathered. I have heard sharp questions and concerns about ‘courage’ and ‘faith’ in the face of the ‘dictatorial.’ There has been the necessity to endure some sharp earfuls, which makes me feel that I had a major role in this decision. As much as I am against it, I still support the decision.
My fear is that people inside and outside of the church are asking, most critically, what has become of the church, that today it has no backbone to stand up and lead the way against what is being branded ‘draconian’ and ‘dictatorial’ and ‘totalitarian.’
The critical are wondering why the difference today versus yesterday. Once it was concerned, vibrant, and active, now it is passive and distant. As an aside, I had forewarned several months ago that I am alarmed at what I detect to be increasing signs of creeping totalitarianism. Well, many have amplified this mandatory vaccination matter into that dark, dangerous corner. For, no matter how polished over, how skillfully rationalised, vaccination is now mandatory; that is my interpretation. Naturally, this opens the floodgates of choice, personal rights, the highest priority for sacred personal safety, and at broader spans, human rights.
Editor, I am aware that I may be taking this into far territory, but one should hear some of what have come my way from sober and sound citizens. I have good regard for their words and postures. What I am leaving unsaid, but where I must go, is that things distill and concretise where everything terminates in this society. That is, politics; and where there is politics, there is that other arsonist in waiting, which is race. I recall some words I shared right here sometime back: in some respects, our gruelling elections are not over, may never be. My position is that vaccination has proven the wisdom and prophetic nature of my words. It is now confirmed that anything and everything in this country inevitably snakes to politics and race. We are not simply partitioned mentally and emotionally, which might indicate some chunks of sanity in the midst. Instead, we are irreparably fragmented into smithereens, without the faintest hope of assembling any specks and shards back together.
I would never have thought that something as essential as a vaccine could deteriorate (or spiral) into such a groundbreaking issue of life and death significance. Meaning, the fearful existential. It should be noted in all of this that I have refrained from resorting to anything that could be remotely associated with partisan political taint. This is solely and primarily what a position and decision has generated and, as much I disagree with it and dislike it, I must support it. And this is because I understand the wider sweep of the composite of clashing underlying considerations.

Sincerely,
GHK Lall

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