Catholic Commission for Social Justice
We have come to the end of another year. Tomorrow, December 31, my sister, Kamala Ramdeen, Attorney-at-Law and the eldest of Balgobin and Ruby Ramdeen’s sevenchildren, will celebrate her birthday.
She says that as she grows older she realises more and more the importance of thanking God for life. In spite of all the many social ills that beset us, let us thank God for His many gifts.
In two days’ time, on December 25, we will welcome the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Take time to prepare yourself for the greatest gift that God gave to humankind—His only Son. And while you decorate your Christmas tree at home, don’t forget to include a crèche—to remind yourself/family/visitors of the reason for the season.
Have you seen images of the amazing 52-foot-wide Nativity scene— a bas-relief sculpture—made entirely of 720 tons of golden sand from the Dolomites by Rich Varano and three other sculptors on display in St Peter’s Square?
As Chair of the Greater Caribbean for Life, an independent not-for profit organisation devoted to working towards the abolition of the death penalty in our region, I was invited to present a paper on the death penalty in the English-speaking Caribbean at a hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington DC on December 6.
“There is no greater disability in society than the inability to see a person as more” (Robert M. Hensel).
The world celebrated International Day of Persons with Disabilities last Monday (December 3). Each of us knows persons with some form of disability e.g. intellectual, physical, sensory, and/or mental. Reflect on how you can make a difference in their lives.
This year’s UN theme focused on “empowering persons with disabilities for an inclusive, equitable and sustainable development as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda pledges to ‘leave no one behind’”.
As you reflect on the draft Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan, consider what needs to be done to make your parish more inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities. They are part of our community and we must demonstrate that we respect their inherent, inviolable, and inalienable dignity as children of God.