Catholic Commission for Social Justice
During these Carnival days of joy and merriment, CCSJ urges everyone not to lose sight of their inherent, inalienable, and inviolable dignity. It is when we forget who we really are that we throw caution to the wind and fail to protect our dignity.
A recent newspaper editorial headed, “Fete after fete after fete”, appeared on the same day that we read about the tributes paid to the late Marcia Henville who was brutally murdered in her own home, allegedly by someone she knew.
In the midst of our Carnival merry-making, take some time to reflect on the implication of Pope Francis’ Lenten Message for 2015 which has as its theme: “Make your hearts firm” (James 5:8).
Schools are a microcosm of the society in which they exist. The violence that is prevalent in our society pervades many of our schools.
In an article in the T&T Guardian of June 7, 2013 on “Student Violence and the Bystander Effect: What You Should Know”, Keagan Welch states: “An unwelcome internet phenomenon is trending in Trinidad and Tobago: videos of secondary school students fighting, recorded on mobile phones and uploaded to online social media networks….
“Let us seek to live in a way that is always worthy of our Christian vocation.”
These words, uttered by Pope Francis last November, should spur us on to become who we are. In many ways ‘religion’ is under siege today. The challenge for us is to continue to imitate Christ and His values, fearlessly, in the face of the forces that seek to destroy or repress religion.
On December 30 last year, the three major daily newspapers in T&T highlighted the way in which two Special Reserve Police Officers, male and female, treated Robby “Sharky” Ramcharitar, a homeless, disabled man in a wheelchair on Lower High Street, San Fernando.
Swift action was taken to suspend them, pending investigation, and criminal charges have since been laid against them – to which they have pleaded not guilty.