The response of Archbishop Gilbert to issues raised by the Feb 11 statement of the Archdiocesan Commission for Social Justice. This statement was issued on Friday, February 18.

I have been asked by members of the Catholic Community and by some members of the general public to offer some clarifications about the Councils, Commissions and Secretariats of the Archdiocese.

This response will be published in the Catholic News , communicated to all department heads of the Archdiocese and, since questions have come from the general public, I am also sharing my response with the media.

1) Who speaks officially for the Archdiocese of Port of Spain?

Response:

Only the Archbishop speaks officially for the Archdiocese of Port of Spain. Ordinarily, I issue statements that I sign personally, or I hold formal meetings with the media with handouts to the participants (these sessions are taped by television) or I give written approval to statements from Councils, Commissions and Secretariats that have been submitted to me for formal approval.

2) What authority do the Archdiocesan Councils, Commissions and Secretariats have to issue statements?

Response :

Councils, Commissions and Secretariats have been given authority by me to issue statements on the day-to-day matters that fall within their respective portfolios. They speak in their own name.

For the information of the members of the Archdiocese and the public, I have a policy of meeting with each department head at least once each month to review the ministry of the department. Consequently, when I am present in the Archdiocese, which is almost always, I am continually updated by department heads.

3) What changes, if any, are planned to avoid a possible repetition of the emotional response to the statement coming from the Archdiocesan Commission for Social Justice?

Response :

I have already established two changes:

3.1) I have asked each Council, Commission and Secretariat to form an editorial Board of four people who will have the responsibility to review all statements prior to publication. If consensus is not achieved the draft of the statement must be referred to the Archbishop for approval prior to publication.

3.2) In all matters concerning faith and morals, in all matters affecting the life of the nation, as opposed to matters involving the internal life of the Archdiocese, each Council, Commission and Secretariat must submit drafts of statements to the Office of the Archbishop for approval prior to publication.

Conclusion

I have two concluding points:

1) When the statement from the Social Justice Commission was issued, I was out of the country for eye surgery. Out of consideration for my recovery, the statement was not sent to me for approval prior to publication. That was a well-intentioned oversight based on an erroneous judgment about urgency.

I would not have approved the statement had it been submitted to me. I apologise to government officials for the temporary complications the statement may have caused them in processing an important issue for the nation.

2) The Councils, Commissions and Secretariats have served the Archdiocese and, in many cases, the nation very well.

The Archdiocesan Commission on Social Justice, in particular, has taken initiatives and made statements about social justice issues that were substantive in content, challenging in nature and received very positively by the Archdiocese, the various religious traditions represented in the Inter Religious Organization, Departments of Government, the United Nations and the private sector of the nation.

Other than the new controls mentioned in #3 of this Response that will apply to all Councils, Commissions and Secretariats of the Archdiocese, I shall continue to support the Social Justice Commission in its ministry.