Caribbean bishops bring climate, migration, family realities to Rome

By Kaelanne Jordan

mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

President of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC), Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, said Caribbean realities such as climate vulnerability, migration, and family life were central to discussions during the bishops’ recent Ad Limina Apostolorum Petri et Pauli visit to Rome, April 27 to May 3.

“In our region, we are the second most vulnerable region to climate change, and that is always a major issue,” Archbishop Gordon said. He added that migration has also significantly impacted the region, noting that Trinidad and Tobago “received thousands and thousands of migrants” during the Venezuelan crisis, alongside movements of people from Haiti, Cuba, and other parts of the Caribbean.

He pointed to the Caribbean’s unique historical experience, particularly the legacy of the plantation system, which has shaped family structures over centuries.

“We’ve had a 400-year structure of families disrupted through the plantation system, so a structure that is different from what you see everywhere else in the world,” he said. “The hope is to bring this particularity to the universal conversation… to see the challenges not just as challenges but also as grace and opportunities for evangelisation.”

Reflecting on the visit itself, Archbishop Gordon described it as “a very special moment in the life of a bishop and the life of a conference of bishops.”

“It’s a moment where we come together in the holy city… to find communion, to listen deeply to the heartbeat of the Church, but also to share the particularity of the mission in our context,” he said.

He noted that the exchange between the universal Church and local realities brings “great riches,” allowing the wider Church to reflect more deeply through different perspectives.

The Archbishop also highlighted discussions on digital evangelisation, following meetings with Vatican communications officials.

“Social media is vital in the mission and ministry of the Church,” he said, acknowledging its risks but stressing they should not deter outreach. “Those dangers can’t stop us from bringing the Gospel into all creation… what Pope Benedict XVI called the ‘digital continent’ is a place where we have to be missionaries also.”

He added that the Church must help shape online interaction so that it becomes “more human… a better light for those who are there to find their way.”

The Ad Limina visit, usually held every five years, is an “important pilgrimage” that allows bishops to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, submit reports on their dioceses, and strengthen ties with the Holy Father, according to AEC Communications.

The schedule began with meetings at several Vatican dicasteries, the main administrative departments of the Vatican, similar to government ministries, as well as the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. These included dicasteries responsible for Laity, Family and Life; Causes of Saints; Communication; and Interreligious Dialogue.

In a video message shared April 27, Bishop Robert Llanos of St John’s-Basseterre, Antigua and Barbuda, said the bishops had just concluded their first meeting with the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, describing “some important discussions” with Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery and his team.

He said the “main” focus was the region’s history and culture of family life, including “the experience of slavery and the experience of the various cultures of the different islands, and how cohabitating and families are being structured as a result of that.”

He added that discussions also explored formation for young people and relationships.

“From that time on we should be preparing persons for good human relationships which will eventually lead to a more sound marriage experience.”

The bishops celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran on April 28 before meetings on culture, education, and divine worship.

Midweek sessions included discussions on religious life, doctrine, evangelisation, clergy, and Christian unity.

A key highlight came April 30 when the bishops celebrated Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica and were received in audience with Pope Leo XIV. Additional meetings were held on safeguarding, human development, and Church governance, before the day concluded with Mass at St Paul Outside the Walls “and a fraternal gathering”.

The visit wrapped up May 2 with final sessions involving the Church’s highest judicial authority and the Synod of Bishops, “marking a renewed commitment to serving the Church in the Caribbean.”