During the Regional Meeting of the Caribbean countries , convened by the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), 31 participants from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Antilles and the host country, the Dominican Republic, gathered to reflect on the challenges and priorities of the Church in this region.
The meeting, which is part of a broader process of ecclesial discernment in Latin America and the Caribbean, aims to clarify priorities and guidelines that will aid decision-making in each region, promoting healthy decentralization with specialized services to evaluate what has been done and plan future actions, explained Father Pedro Brasseco , deputy secretary general of CELAM.
In an interview with ADN Celam, Father Donald Chambers, of the Archdiocese of Kingston, Jamaica, and secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of the Antilles, based in Trinidad and Tobago, expressed his joy at the opportunity to meet in this regional forum . “I feel quite happy and content that we are meeting, since the region is divided by languages; there are those who speak French, English, and Spanish,” he stated.
Synodal process in the Church of the Antilles
Asked about the synodal process in the region, Father Chambers explained that the Antilles Conference has announced a Synod to be held in 2027, which will consist of three phases.
” The first phase will be the formation of people within the Church to practice Conversation in the Spirit. In the first year, we will focus on training bishops, priests, religious, and lay people to practice Conversation in the Spirit,” he explained.
The second phase will consist of diocesan assemblies, while the third phase will bring together the Episcopal Conference of the Antilles in the Synod Assembly. “The first two phases are in preparation for the Synod Assembly,” he explained.
Resistance and acceptance within the clergy
Referring to the reception of the synod proposal among the local churches of the Antilles, Father Chambers indicated that “first of all, the bishops have agreed and also supported this initiative. There is excitement and great expectations among the laity regarding this Synod.”
However, he acknowledged that there has been some resistance among priests. “ It has been a slow process of acceptance, and we are working to get them involved, to integrate them into this Synod issue. There has been resistance among priests, but we recognize that the resistance stems from a lack of understanding of what this Synod truly seeks,” he explained.
According to the secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of the Antilles, the priests who participated in the formation process have shown a change in attitude. ” Now we see less resistance among them; there has truly been a change in their way of thinking, a conversion in their way of thinking, and now they even seem excited by this initiative ,” he added.
An image of a hurricane describes the suffering of the Church in the Antilles.
During the meeting, participants reflected on the main sufferings facing the Church in the region. “This morning, in the Conversation in the Spirit exercise, we used the image of a hurricane to describe the sufferings the Church in the Antilles is experiencing. The main characteristic of hurricanes is that they begin outside the region, gain strength, and then enter the region ,” explained Father Chambers.
Among the challenges identified, external events that have severely affected the region were mentioned. “Two examples were brought up in the conversation. One is COVID-19, which originated outside the region but impacted the region. The second current example is the Donald Trump administration in the United States. This is a situation that occurs outside the region but has a social and economic impact within the region, causing immigration and poverty ,” he noted.
In addition, Father Chambers mentioned that the bishops discussed alternatives for funding programs that previously received U.S. support: “The discussion is ongoing among the bishops of the Antilles,” he stated. Among the main programs receiving support were those aimed at Venezuelan immigrants, the fight against human trafficking, and asylum seekers in the region.
Hope and resilience, signs of the Church in the Antilles
Despite the challenges, Father Chambers emphasized that the Church in the Antilles is resilient: “The experience of hurricanes confirms this. Every time a hurricane comes and destroys homes and churches, the people of the Antilles put their trust in God and are able to rebuild. So resilience is the greatest sign of hope for the Antilles ,” he concluded.
