By Prior Beharry
IS Roman Catholic Archbishop Jason Gordon an apologist for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
This is the question being asked by Political Leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Phillip Edward Alexander.
It comes after comments made by Gordon at the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute’s (TTTI) 22nd annual general meeting on Thursday.
Gordon said, “Every good citizen wants the commissioner of police, the minister of national security and the prime minister to solve the murder problem.
“They cannot solve it until we, the citizens, are willing to recognise that the murder problem has its roots in a more fundamental challenge, injustice that pervades the whole nation. This is we problem and only we, the citizens can solve it.”
He said, “This lack of commitment by the citizens has become a cancer, eating the body politic of our beloved T&T.”
But in a statement on Saturday, Alexander said, “The Archbishop’s unbelievable statement that the commissioner and the national security minister can do nothing to solve crime, begs me to ask him, what does he think their job is? What does he think they are paid to do?
“If not to solve crime and secure the nation, what does he think is their purpose?
“In his ‘considered’ opinion (his word, not mine) he excused even the Prime Minister from responsibility, so I have to ask, in this Archbishop’s head, what he thinks is the role of a minister of government?
“Whose job does he think it is to secure the borders and keep out the guns, drugs and other contraband? Who is responsible for education? For jobs? For social management and economic stewardship that provides hope and opportunity for all?
“From the lowest constable to the Commissioner, the job is fighting crime. How does the Archbishop not know that? How does he not know that the Coast Guard’s job is to guard the coast? That Customs is responsible for securing the ports of entry and what is allowed in the country? That the Fire Service’s job is to put out fires?”
He said it was a nonsense narrative about blaming the citizens in a country where political puppets were installed in important positions to the detriment of the society as a whole cannot be tolerated from anyone including the Archbishop, and he needs to decide what his role is in the national conversation.
Alexander asked:
- Is he here to guide the Catholic flock?
- Or to be apologist in chief for Keith Rowley and his failing brigade?
- Is he aware of the narco trafficking elite that sits in the front pews of the richest churches?
- How about the criminally corrupt politicians and their co-conspirators in the business, legal and accounting professions?
- Do I have to draw a line for him from the poverty that creates the human resource for the criminal gangs that are funded by corrupt politicians and organized crime?
He added, “Sermonising to the beat down and struggling almost in lockstep with (National Security Minister) Fitzgerald Hinds pleading for support for his missteps comes across like a paid political commercial.”
Alexander said, “Jason Gordon needs to stick to what he knows, and leave the politics and the activism to those who at least have a basic understanding how these things work.”
He said, “The absolute last thing this country needs is anyone making excuses for the failure of government. If they cannot do the job they need to step down and make way for those who can.”
One of the foundations of the christian religious belief, hinges on our human inability to correct our circumstances, we are urged to rely on a savior, it used to be the priests to pray for our redemption, as our prayers were not sufficient to reach our maker, that his recent statements sounds like support for his politicians of choice is just religion,
Thank God that many has begun to see the similarities between the Catholic church and politics .
If they not able to help solve crome, why not take their salary and feed some poor families and that could reduce crime.
Cause thats the main reason we paying them.