ANGLICAN Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago Claude Berkley has condemned the staging of a fashion show at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain.
In a press release on Tuesday, Berkley said, “The Anglican Church in the Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago sincerely apologised to all members of the Anglican community, every religious organisation, faith group and to the general public, for the misuse of the consecrated space within the Holy Trinity Cathedral, at a recently hosted fashion show.
“Indeed, the depiction of scantily clad models parading along the aisle of the Church offended individual and collective sensibilities locally and internationally.”
Berkley said the parade was completely out of order, inappropriate and strongly condemned.
He said, “Our church has hosted fashion shows in the past and we have never come to this sad deterioration of respect and modesty.
“I am reliably informed that firm guidelines were in effect with the primary organiser, but that there was a deviation from the agreed guidelines. At the first sight of this deviation, the show should have been shut down.”
Berkley said this was a blatant breach of the guidelines and a breach of trust, to the detriment of the Church and its community.
He said, “We must take full responsibility for the laxity in regulating the use of the church’s space. The church advocates and exhorts its members to modesty in dress and deportment, and it is a direct contradiction and affront, that this display of immodesty took place.
“Further investigation of the issue will follow and appropriate measures taken to prevent any recurrence of this kind of exposure.
“Be assured that what took place is not the practice of the Anglican Church.
“Even though the church might promote the positive aspects of the culture in which it witnesses, due care must be taken to ensure that participants do not cross the line into negativity and impropriety.
“On this occasion we clearly missed the mark and we are deeply sorry!
“We therefore seek your forgiveness as we move forward in proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
