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Never again! Clergyman urges nation to turn back on populist politics
A SENIOR member of the Jamaican clergy has sent a powerful message to the nerve centre of the country's leadership, proclaiming that "never again" must the nation be plunged into the predicament it now finds itself because of political expediency.
"The Jewish community throughout the world has had a rallying cry in relation to the experience of the Holocaust: 'Never again!' While our motivation may arise from a totally different starting point and experience, we must say to the leaders of our nation, 'Never again'," declared the Reverend Dr Howard Gregory, Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
In a sermon delivered last evening at the 143rd Synod of the Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Gregory took aim at the political directorate.
"No appeal to populist policies or eyes set on the next general election must let this nation find itself again in the economic predicament which it now faces," he asserted.
NO BUSINESS AS USUAL
Addressing the synod at the St Ann's Bay Parish Church, the man of the cloth argued that it cannot be business as usual for the country.
He said the nation has been trying to cope with the harsh economic climate brought on by the country's high level of indebtedness and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) conditionalities for an extended fund facility.
Gregory said he would not join with those who want to make out the IMF to be the villain, but instead placed the blame on "the failure of those charged with governance in taking appropriate decisions and carving out a path for growth while containing debt".
The Anglican church leader also questioned whether the hardships now being faced by Jamaicans were being borne in an equitable fashion. The apparent rhetorical question was put to rest with Gregory pointing to the "widening gap" between the rich and poor in Jamaica, a situation which he noted was unparalleled in the Caribbean.
He added that those who had the economic advantage could use "the system" to evade their social responsibilities.
"Thankfully, it is no secret that the IMF has been insistent that the discretionary powers residing in the Ministry of Finance - and which has been used at times to provide unreasonable breaks for those with the right connections and for personal gain - must come to an end, even as it has shone the spotlight on those corporate institutions and corporate executives who have been able to use the system to avoid paying their fair share of taxes," Gregory stated.
The church leader also described as "flippant" responses from the Government in relation to recent calls for it to make symbolic sacrifices to identify with the hardship being faced by the people.
He commended members of the clergy and workers of the diocese who took the decision to forgo any increase in their stipends this year without prompting from the church leadership. According to Gregory, this decision was made against the background of the serious economic challenges facing the church and, by extension, the nation.
Urging Jamaicans to become more involved in the governance process, the senior clergyman said there was the need for a shift from the "pervasive freeness mentality" which asserts that "Government should be responsible for us".
He said this posture of dependence disposed persons to exploitation and manipulation by those in governance.
edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com
Never again! Clergyman urges nation to turn back on populist politics
A SENIOR member of the Jamaican clergy has sent a powerful message to the nerve centre of the country's leadership, proclaiming that "never again" must the nation be plunged into the predicament it now finds itself because of political expediency.
"The Jewish community throughout the world has had a rallying cry in relation to the experience of the Holocaust: 'Never again!' While our motivation may arise from a totally different starting point and experience, we must say to the leaders of our nation, 'Never again'," declared the Reverend Dr Howard Gregory, Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
In a sermon delivered last evening at the 143rd Synod of the Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Gregory took aim at the political directorate.
"No appeal to populist policies or eyes set on the next general election must let this nation find itself again in the economic predicament which it now faces," he asserted.
NO BUSINESS AS USUAL
Addressing the synod at the St Ann's Bay Parish Church, the man of the cloth argued that it cannot be business as usual for the country.
He said the nation has been trying to cope with the harsh economic climate brought on by the country's high level of indebtedness and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) conditionalities for an extended fund facility.
Gregory said he would not join with those who want to make out the IMF to be the villain, but instead placed the blame on "the failure of those charged with governance in taking appropriate decisions and carving out a path for growth while containing debt".
The Anglican church leader also questioned whether the hardships now being faced by Jamaicans were being borne in an equitable fashion. The apparent rhetorical question was put to rest with Gregory pointing to the "widening gap" between the rich and poor in Jamaica, a situation which he noted was unparalleled in the Caribbean.
He added that those who had the economic advantage could use "the system" to evade their social responsibilities.
"Thankfully, it is no secret that the IMF has been insistent that the discretionary powers residing in the Ministry of Finance - and which has been used at times to provide unreasonable breaks for those with the right connections and for personal gain - must come to an end, even as it has shone the spotlight on those corporate institutions and corporate executives who have been able to use the system to avoid paying their fair share of taxes," Gregory stated.
The church leader also described as "flippant" responses from the Government in relation to recent calls for it to make symbolic sacrifices to identify with the hardship being faced by the people.
He commended members of the clergy and workers of the diocese who took the decision to forgo any increase in their stipends this year without prompting from the church leadership. According to Gregory, this decision was made against the background of the serious economic challenges facing the church and, by extension, the nation.
Urging Jamaicans to become more involved in the governance process, the senior clergyman said there was the need for a shift from the "pervasive freeness mentality" which asserts that "Government should be responsible for us".
He said this posture of dependence disposed persons to exploitation and manipulation by those in governance.
edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com
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