PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad:THE CATHOLIC Church is shrinking in the Caribbean and, if nothing is done to reverse this action, it will continue to do so, warns Trinidadian Roman Catholic Archbishop Edward Gilbert.
"If we do nothing about this, it will continue and we would have to answer to the Lord why we did nothing," the archbishop said during his delivery at the opening of the three-day Catholic Charismatic Renewal for the 15th Caribbean Conference at the JFK Auditorium at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, yesterday.
The conference 'Rise Up, Preach the Gospel, Take Back the Nation' attracted delegates from several Caribbean countries including Suriname, Dominica and Antigua. The thirst for spirituality was evident as hundreds of people filled the auditorium and outside tents, leaving standing room only.
Gilbert also said that there should be serious consideration of a Catholic Assembly in the Caribbean. In an aside, Gilbert noted that the days for traditional cake sales were a "thing of the past".
"Our fund-raising attitudes must be changed ... We are talking about six and seven- figure numbers. If the televangelists can do it, who says that we can't do the same thing," he said.
Gilbert said the decisions about the learnings of the church were continuously and incessantly challenged.
"Some very nice people have belonged to as many as five churches before they are 45. They are still searching and they are searching for meaning. People must personalise their faith, but they don't know how to do it. They have to be educated in the spiritual life and they have to learn and teach how to pray," the archbishop said.
He said while the Catholic Church was accused of having too many rules and teachings, followers should not have to apologise for that.
- The Trinidad Guardian
