REGENERATING THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES OF OUR SOCIETY

By Vernon Khelawan

It was refreshing to see that many of the Third Pastoral Priority plans submitted by parishes and Church departments relate to improving family life, from which society springs.

With the help of priests and other parish leaders, the fruits of this labour should soon emerge and start a revolution in values, making us into a more loving and harmonious people who give real meaning to the commandment of Jesus Christ – “Love one another as I have loved you.”

In effect, the Third Pastoral Priority – Regenerating the Moral and Spiritual Values of Our Society – is a clarion call to all Catholics in this Archdiocese to take stock of themselves and to evaluate whether they have let slip the core values of love and charity. If they have, here is the opportunity to resolve to make a change.

Catholics must be aware that things aren’t right in our society and I’m not just talking about criminal activity. Most times we simply endure the thoughtless actions of others which seriously affect our daily living – in the workplace, in the government service, in our restaurants and places of entertainment, travelling on our roads (whether as commuters or motorists), in our homes and even in our churches.

The 2015 round of nakedness in Carnival presentations has also begun and, sadly, there are many Catholics who are part and parcel of this scenario. Bandleaders justify this annual display of flesh by saying that shrinking bikinis and fewer beads and feathers are what the masqueraders want and so they have little choice but to give them what they want. Many bandleaders, meanwhile, rake in large sums of money from this kind of mas.

Some aspects of Carnival remain abysmal in terms of the morals and values they reflect and encourage. It is therefore incumbent on Catholics to pay special attention to Resolution #2 of the Priority, which states, “Be it resolved that the Archdiocese develop a comprehensive strategy for the formation of families as the domestic Church – the first moral community – for the moral and spiritual renewal of Trinidad and Tobago.”