Catholic Commission for Social Justice
“Violence is not overcome by violence… peace is the result of a process of purification and of cultural, moral and spiritual elevation involving each individual and people, a process in which human dignity is fully respected.” (Pope Benedict XVI’s 2011 Peace Message)
Last September CCSJ sought to implement a Synod resolution by organising Respect for Life Week. The T-shirts we printed read: “Respect ALL Life: God’s gift to us”.
“Treasure the environment and use it wisely. Preserve the environment as a legacy for the future… Environmental issues can no longer be regarded as a luxury…Government must partner with all stakeholders. If there are human-induced causes to the problems, there must be human-induced solutions…Trinidad and Tobago, as a responsible member of the international community, recognises the need to take domestic action…all citizens should Think Green.”
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ
“Youth Ministry is the response of the Christian community to the needs of young people and the sharing of the unique gifts of youth with the larger community.” (Renewing the Vision, US Catholic Bishops, 1997)
On Saturday, January 15, CCSJ participated in the first ever Youth Expo at the Centre of Excellence. Like many other groups in the Archdiocese, we ran one of the booths at the event. I thank Sr Roberta O’Flaherty, a member of CCSJ, and our dedicated volunteer, Anna Ackbarali, for joining me in the booth.
We have just said farewell to someone who will go down in the annals of history as a remarkable human being – Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke. I hope the momentum will be maintained as we think about ways of honouring him.
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr Day. King, the great American Civil Rights leader, is another “light to the nations”.
Today I continue to share some extracts from Pope Benedict XVI’s Peace Message for 2011: “Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace”.
At the press conference when the Peace Message was released, Cardinal Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said: “Religious freedom does not imply that all religions are equal. Nor is it a reason for religious relativism or indifferentism. Religious freedom is compatible with defence of one’s religious identity against relativism, syncretism and fundamentalism, which are all abused forms of religious freedom.”