If Carapichaima parish priest Fr Matthew D’Hereaux had both time and money, he’d write a book with the title “Out of the Bedroom, Into the Boardroom.”
Why? In his opinion, the Church has for some time offered spiritual guidance on sexual matters but not enough emphasis has been placed on ethics in the corporate and business world.
With that opening, Fr D’Hereaux had the attention of participants in the second workshop on “Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection”, organised by the Catholic Commission for Social Justice, in conjunction with the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It was held January 19 at the Bishop Mendes Auditorium, San Fernando. The workshop is a reflection on a practical handbook for Catholic businessmen and women published by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, led by Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson.
San Fernando parish priest Msgr Christian Pereira did the opening prayer and welcomed participants.
Fr D’Hereaux, who studied ethics in Rome, quoted from two books, Justice: What’s the right thing to do? (Michael J Sandel) and No Logo (Naomi Klein). His quotation from the former dealt with price gouging, especially during disasters, while the latter spoke of the poor working conditions of those who produced brand name clothing in such countries as Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Mexico. “This is the world we operate in where the most important thing is the bottom line”, he said, where people become secondary because of competition and the desire for profit.
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He commented that when one thought of a vocation, one usually thought of a vocation to the priesthood, or religious life, or married life. But, he continued, vocation must also be seen as something in the business world. Fr D’Hereaux said business leaders needed to promote truth and honesty and recognise the dignity of persons who they employed.
Vicar for Clergy Fr Clyde Harvey discussed the morals of business and was the first speaker for the morning. He said business was essentially about wealth creation but urged the business people present to reflect on how and why they had become involved in business: was it through family inheritance, was it to get rich or to provide a service, or was it merely a job.
Fr Harvey said business was a human activity but must have meaning and purpose. He recalled that business leaders were invited to the first workshop on Cardinal Turkson’s guidelines last July but added that it was equally important that the moral and ethical issues be also considered by workers, managers and stockholders.
Participants later divided into small groups and discussed the principles arising out of Cardinal Turkson’s guidelines. Rapporteurs reported briefly after the group discussions, which touched on the effect of work on family life, the faith witness of the working parent in today’s world, and building relationship with colleagues and employees.
This report appeared in Catholic News February 10 issue.
