Message from The Most Rev Neil Scantlebury

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Gun crimes in Barbados are at an all-time high. This beautiful island of ours that we all love so dearly is seeing the ugliness of death due to the bullet becoming almost a weekly occurrence. Most will agree that this level of violent crime is foreign to the Barbadian way of life. So, what has changed? Why are we no longer a peaceful and loving society?

The recent formation of the National Advisory Council on Citizen Security is one of many measures that the government is using to tackle the upsurge in serious crimes. The arm of the Barbados Police Service is being strengthened with collaboration with the Barbados Defense Force and it is hoped that this united front can stem the tide of serious crimes and murders.

I welcome any and all attempts to return our country to a peaceful and loving place.

In grappling with the answer to the question of why has our society change for the worse I am convinced that the breakdown in good family life is at the center of the crime and violence. A good family is indeed vital to building a good society. The family plays a foundational role in shaping individuals who form the fabric of society. It is in the family that our spirituality, morals and ethics are formed. In today’s modern world fewer people are attending church or establishing a sound spiritual foundation. It was in the family circle where children first learn about right and wrong. Parents and caregivers instilled moral values, ethics and a sense of responsibility in children and these are characteristics crucial for the development of a just and compassionate society.

Thou shall not kill. God has given us all the precious gift of life we must be thankful and grateful for all lives, ours and those of others. I want to remind people who find themselves on a slippery slope and a pathway to commit a murder that they are breaking God’s law. I encourage would-be killers to pause reflect and pray. There is always another way. It may not seem like there is another way when all the odds are stacked against you but there is. Reviews in all murder cases prove that forgiveness and reconciliation would have mitigated the situation. My brothers and sisters avoid hasty actions born out of vexation. These actions have tremendous long-term effects.

Go to God not the gun. Before you load up that gun to take a life get a Bible and read it, load up with the word of God. There is always a better tomorrow. Trust in God. There is hope in God. There are many stories -not enough- about persons who have walked away from a life of crime and gangs and became successful individuals with families.

No man is an island, no man stands alone. Those involved in serious crimes and murders must reflect on the hurt and pain that they bring down not only to their victims but also the victim’s family. The person you kill is a son, daughter, sister, mother, brother, father and friend to others, they will forever feel the pain of your actions which took away a loved one forever. Those of you who are shooting and killing please note that your family and loved ones also become suffering victims of your actions. Your actions may result in revenge on you or a lifetime in jail. No parent wants to know their child is locked in prison. No wife or girlfriend would like prison or death to end their loving relationship. No young child wants to be without the loving care of their father.

The repercussions of crime and violence are far reaching and never ending.

My prayers and appeal go out to those trapped in the vortex of crime. I assure you that with God you have the power to turn your life around. You were blessed with life and made for a great purpose, live your life to the fullest and let others do so too with theirs. Go to God not the gun. Load up your heart with the Word of God not a gun with bullets.

Bishop Neil Scantlebury washed and kissed the feet of 12 men last night during the Mass which symbolically recreated the Lord’s Supper. The day and the mass is one of the high points on the christian calendar, taking place on the day before Good Friday, called Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday it commemorates the washing of the feet and last supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the gospels. (maundy comes from the latin word mandatum or commandment)

It was at the supper before His death that Jesus Christ demonstrated humility to his disciples by washing and kissing their feet.

Bishop Neil preached that the act of washing and kissing someone’s foot is a deep and meaningful expression of love and service and an example that we should follow in our lives.

Monsignor Vincent Blackett was the main celebrant at the 7 am Palm Sunday Procession and Mass of the St.Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. Monsignor Vincent has been living and doing missionary  work in Nigeria for the past several years and was here in Barbados on a short vacation. He said he was happy to have started Holy Week here in Barbados.