Anglican Bishop: Church coped well over Easter

From Trinidad-

Anglican Bishop the Rt Rev Claude Berkley said the church coped "relatively well" in ministering to its flock amid covid19 restrictions over the Easter weekend."Usually, at Easter, attendance is higher than usual. But I would say we coped relatively well. Services and prayer meetings were offered by different parishes, mostly on social media," he told Tobago Newsday ."The response was gratifying, judging from the social media measurement and direct feedback."The Tobago-born Berkley said parishioners used technology to access the services.

"Another factor of encouragement was the moment of technological advance by persons who hitherto, resisted Many more mature persons would have migrated to social media."Berkley said although covid19 has changed the way people operate, they have been coping reasonably well so far."We have been comforting and consoling members and others by telephone and social media. And that expands to e-mail, WhatsApp, Messenger, to actual social distance conversations where possible "to encourage one another to pass the message along."

More here-

https://newsday.co.tt/2020/04/15/anglican-bishop-church-coped-well-over-easter/

People afraid of confessing to priests

From Trinidad-

AN Anglican minister has lamented the lack of interest in confessions among the church's faithful.

Canon Ronald Branche said while confessions are a vital component of the Lenten experience, many people continue to shy away from it for fear of confessing their sins to a priest, whom they perceive as an ordinary man.

"Some people say, 'I eh confessing to no man,' but the priest is not there to judge you," Branche said on Sunday.

He was addressing the Anglican Church's Gathering of Pilgrims 2019 at Signal Hill Secondary School, Tobago.

The event, which had as one of its themes, True Worship: The Essence of Reconciliation: A Realignment of Self, brought together Anglicans from parishes throughout TT.

More here-

https://newsday.co.tt/2019/03/24/people-afraid-of-confessing-to-priests/

Harris agrees with priest on Holy Innocents toy ban

From Trinidad-

ARCHBISHOP of Port-of- Spain, Joseph Harris, is supporting a decision of one of his priests who said he was no longer blessing toys for the Feast of the Holy Innocents and instead focus on blessing the children.

Asked to comment on the stance taken by Fr Martin Sirju on Thursday, Harris said the Feast of the Holy Innocents calls for a more “dignified” ceremony than one which is focused on toys.

“The Feast of the Holy Innocents is not about toys,” said Harris in a telephone interview with Newsday. “The innocents were killed by Herod because he hated Jesus Christ. He had heard that a new King was born and therefore he wanted to get rid of that King or anybody else who could be a threat to his throne. So Herod went out and killed these children of two years old and under. He killed all who were a threat to his throne.” Harris continued, “In Trinidad and Tobago, the kids who have been killed are no threat to anybody. They are innocent, so that for me, Holy Innocents is about innocent lives that are lost.” For many years, some Roman Catholic and Anglican priests have marked the occasion with the blessing of toys that children received as Christmas presents. Harris said he has only ever seen the tradition practised in Trinidad and Tobago and he does not know when it originated.

More here-

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,237846.html

Rev West: Anglican Church facing dwindling membership

From Trinidad and Tobago-

The Anglican Church in Trinidad and Tobago continues to face declining numbers both in members and clergy, Rev Canon Steve West has said.

West was at the time addressing a packed congregation at the ordination ceremony of 15 persons to the Diaconate (the Holy Order of Deacon, at the Cathedral of the Trinity Cathedral, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, on Wednesday.

“The Anglican Church and the dioceses of Trinidad and Tobago is facing a dwindling membership: we have many people who say they are Anglicans but on Sunday morning they are not worshipping in church with us, and we have a severe shortage of clergy. We have parishes without parish priests,” West said.

Some of the interventions in response to declining membership have included a supplementary ministry programme, a diocesan strategic plan and in more recent times the capacity building project and capacity building report. Other solutions include an annual bible convention, youths interacting with the bishop and Lenten and advent caravans and diocesan bible study.

More here-

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150723/news/rev-west-anglican-church-facing-dwindling-membership

Bishop: Seek God first

From Trinidad-

Citizens are being urged to seek God first and live a life filled with respect and discipline.

The advice comes from Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley who addressed members of the Judiciary yesterday morning at a service held at the Trinity Cathedral to commemorate the opening of the 2011/2012 law term.

Berkley, in addressing those seated in the Cathedral, made reference to the "Nelson Street 21", letters to the editor and radio programmes, the latter two having been inundated with responses from members of the public expressing concern over the State of Emergency.

Berkley said: "All is not well in the State of T&T, in terms of the State of Emergency."
The Bishop said blame should be heaped on the shoulders of all in society for the present state of affairs.

More here-

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Bishop__Seek_God_first-130001988.html

Bishop calls on clergy to be 'good examples'

From Trinidad-

Members of the clergy were reminded on Saturday that their lives should be good examples, if they wanted their congregation and the population to become true people of God.

The reminder came from Anglican Bishop Calvin Bess as he delivered the sermon at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Pointe-a-Pierre, to mark the 50th year of the ordination to the priesthood of retired Bishop Rawle Ernest Douglin.

Bess in his sermon said: ’Priests are called to serve by example, to lead the people of God and they are reminded that they should be examples in every community.’

Best said the church expects its priests to be examples of Christ.

’You were called upon to become members of the clergy by virtue of ordination, and once a priest you will always be a priest, and your life should be what God expects,’ said Bess.

Bess, who along with a number of other priests presided over an ecumenical service, said the national community expects priests to be leaders in their own community, setting proper standards for the population to follow.

Speaking about the 50-year service to the clergy given by Douglin, he said: ’Priesthood belongs to God and in His wisdom he has given us Rev Douglin as the perfect example of what a priest should be.’

He said during Douglin’s life in the priesthood he had encountered many problems and challenges but ’by the Grace of God he prevailed and has survived the priesthood for so many years’.

More here-

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161608435

Trinidad PM: Spiritual adviser gets no gov't help

From Trinidad-

Trinidad's prime minister delivered a fiery, hour-long speech on church-state relations Friday while flatly denying that his spiritual adviser travels with him at the expense of taxpayers.
This Caribbean island is a highly religious society of Roman Catholics, Hindus, Anglicans, Baptists and Muslims. Religion plays a prominent role in politics, and any government official seen with a religious adviser is highly regarded.

However, residents and local media have recently questioned whether Prime Minister Patrick Manning's spiritual adviser has been receiving state money.

Manning, who has not identified his adviser or even confirmed that she travels with him, denied she is compensated with state money and told lawmakers he is being persecuted for his religious beliefs

"It is my right to have a spiritual adviser, and I shall not be deterred by the slings and arrows," he said.

Manning, who was raised an Anglican and plans to become a minister when he retires from politics, also rejected criticism over funding for construction of a church on state-owned land that is led by a female pastor who is thought to be his adviser.

More here-

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcGqCho7vnEYdjDkRXrCgN5KoDswD9E451GG1