THE EDITOR: The mandate of the Archbishop to catechists "get Catholics back in church" (Oct 7) may be putting responsibility on the wrong people.

That falling off of attendance at church (let's not consider the "churches" that are really big business in disguise) is not a trend confined to Trinidad and Tobago, the Latin American or the Caribbean countries, but worldwide. One needs to ask whether the Church itself hasn't taken a wrong turn or two since the 1960s.

Before you tie me to the stake, dear Reader, let me assure you that I am not addressing the Church's doctrines or dogma in this letter. I am talking here only about the way the Church has been projecting itself in recent times.

The Church used to project itself as a universal, God-driven phenomenon (One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, said the catechism) and its professionals, the clergy, as very special.

Then along came the clamour in the 1960s for established institutions of all kinds to become "relevant". Fine, except that in many cases, including the Church, that came to be equated with becoming "ordinary".

In education, it led to the dumbing down of education. In the Church it led to introducing various cultural and "lifestyle" elements into the liturgy.

The problem with that is that people began to associate their experience at Church services with the values and trappings of their lifestyle, rather than with worship.

Lifestyles and cultural values are closely associated with ethnic, social and economic groups, so what is attractive and appealing to adopters of one lifestyle, may be a turn off to another.

Formerly one could attend Mass or a Benediction or other service in a Catholic church in any part of the world and recognise and understand what was going on.

The all-inclusiveness, the universality, of the Church was palpable, obvious in the liturgy, and one felt an identity with the Church and with what was going on.

The fact that the congregation was of a different language, race or economic standing didn't enter into the experience. Nowadays there's a tendency to fault the use of Latin as the language of the liturgy on the basis that nobody understands it.

Yet, back in the 1950s I would bet that everyone at any church would know what "pax tecum" or "Dominus vobiscum" meant, without having to shake hands, hug or do some other ritual that might be quite distracting or even unsettling to the person next to you in the pew.

Almost every photo of church related events in the Catholic News seems to illustrate the "touchy-feely", "feel good" therapy promoted by pop psychology of the 1960s.

A lot of people don't subscribe to that behaviour, but such distraction, such potential divisiveness was never generated in the traditional liturgy, which first and last was directed to worshipping God.

There are numerous other practices prompted by that movement to the ordinary (nominally "relevant") in Church services that are so closely identifiable with distinct lifestyles and cultural values as to make them actually or potentially divisive or distracting for the attendee. As a result there is loss of focus on the worship of God in the Church experience.

As for how the clergy projects itself now, there's no space to discuss that in this letter, but that could be debated too. Just let me say that I am deeply grateful to the clergy who educated and mentored me before I left Trinidad.
A Trinidadian in Seattle

DEAR EDITOR: Talk to any non-practicing Catholic and you will probably get the same answer to the question as to why we do not go to church anymore.

At the end of present-day Mass, we come out feeling frustrated and upset, instead of peaceful and inspired, so we have found it better to say our prayers privately at home.

We do not want every single response or prayer to be sung or the Mass presented to us as a concert. The Our Father should not be sung period!

The sermon should not last more than ten minutes. We should not be intimidated into holding hands. Most of us are intelligent people and we do not need the same thing repeated to us over and over in the sermon just so that it lasts 30 minutes or more.

A ten-minute sermon describing the Gospel is all that is needed. Take a look at the churches where the Mass is celebrated in 1 hour or less. They are packed (St.Finbar's 5:30 p.m. Mass).

Archbishop Gilbert should not underestimate the willingness of people to go to Mass, it is simply the fact that the Mass has turned into a lengthy "pappy-show" that is driving people away.

Do we really need to sing “we love you, love you, love you” to a complete stranger who is travelling on his anniversary?

I remember that going to church was a solemn occasion when I could have a private moment with God, now it seems it's a hand-holding, arm-waving concert. No Thanks.
A non-practicing Catholic   Via email

DEAR EDITOR: Fr Malcolm de Verteuil, who went back to God on October 10, was closely associated with the Legion of Mary as Spiritual Director of the Comitium (now Regia) in the 70s. At that time I was Secretary of the Comitium (Helene Pollonais was President).

Working under Fr de Verteuil’s spiritual direction, I benefited greatly from his spiritual guidance.

On behalf of the Legion of Mary, I am pleased to pay tribute to Fr Malcolm and to extend condolences to members of his family.
Kathleen Gibbs, Petit Valley

DEAR EDITOR: I noticed that you've been including a lot of articles on chastity and natural family planning recently. I would like just to point readers to great sources of information on the Internet.

One is www.pureloveclub.com. It has amazing articles on the Catholic view of sexuality, natural family planning and homosexuality. One such article spoke about Uganda which in the 80s, started teaching abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage, and their HIV/AIDS infection rate dropped from 22% in 1991 to 6% in 1999, while countries that taught sex safe and condom use have only experienced increases in the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Another amazing case is the Philippines, where the Catholic Church is very powerful, and therefore few people believe in contraception. Their HIV/AIDS infection rate is 0.03%.

These examples clearly show that our country is going the wrong way by promoting safe sex to fight HIV/AIDS. I really hope that our Church will do whatever possible to turn back the tides of this dangerous teaching. 

Another good source of information is www.omsoul.com. It has amazing articles and CDs about chastity, natural family planning and children. The CD called "Contraception: Why not?" gives a very powerful message. The most amazing part of the message, in my eyes, is that couples who use Natural Family Planning have a divorce rate of 1% .
A Reader   via email

DEAR EDITOR: Having recently returned from the United Kingdom where similar situations are prevalent, I am jumping into the dance without washing me foot, and would like to add my tuppence bit to the furore caused by remarks of Fr Clyde Harvey and Fr Jason Gordon on the violent demise of Kerwyn Phillip.

Some years ago composer Des Vignes commented on the high price of progress which went unheeded, and today we are reaping the whirlwind of what progress and technology have brought us – a “dis” generation: disadvantaged, disenchanted, disillusioned, discontented, disappointed, disaffected.

Young people camouflage their psychological/emotional needs with negative conduct that we adults so readily condemn, yet turn a blind eye to the raison d’etre instead of addressing the fundamental problems and providing positive resolutions and solutions.

The enclosed poem from my anthology on social issues, For Mammie, You and Me attempts to provide a possible rationale for their anti-social behaviour.
Eva David-Swain, Coalmine, Sangre Grande

WHO HAVE TIME

Who have time for me?
Who have time to listen to me?
My mother?
She forever on the hustle to feed the five hungry bastards
She have for six different men
My father?
He have no idea about me
 After a one-night stand.
My teacher?
Her plate full with her own problems
And thirty other students like me
Who don’t care to learn one thing in school.
My preacher?
He always talking his mouth off
About sins and tithes
Without seeing how I trying to follow
What he trying to say.
The police?
They busy occupied going nowhere
Looking for people on the run
And people who they say doing wrong.
My politician?
He too busy posing for camera and television
And filling he pocket until next election
Then he coming to beg for a vote again.
The law lords?
They too concerned about things that right and not so right
And what legal and not so legal.
The druglords?
Yes! They have time for me!
They giving me Hilfiger, Nike and hot wheels
Cash, gold chain, and silver handle gun
Just to put down a little work for them………..
Else Shot Call………..For me self!!!
But that is not what I want for me!
I just want somebody to listen
Listen to me nuh man
I have things bottle up
Bottle up inside my chest
Bottle up inside my head
I just want somebody to listen
Hear what I have to say
How I feel about things
My hopes, my fears, my dreams
All I want is some good advice
To get pointed in the right direction
But nobody have time!
They too busy
Busy socialising
Busy fraternising
Busy patronising
Busy womanising
And me?
Busy agonising
Drowning in worries and sorrow
I still waiting
Looking with flambeau in high noonday
For somebody who would tell
I HAVE TIME FOR YOU!