Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne's Remarks at Inter-faith Service

Remarks by Bishop Francis Alleyne, Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Guyana

Inter-Faith Service to Launch the Inaugural Guyana Pride Festival
Catholic Life Centre - Georgetown, Guyana
May 25, 2017

 

 Bishop Francis Alleyne of the Roman Catholic Diocese 

Bishop Francis Alleyne, who co-hosted the service with the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) read from the Gospel of St. John (14:1-7) from which he identified an important Christian teaching about accommodating, and creating space for every child of God noting that Jesus was speaking in a context of Roman rule and Jewish law in which Christianity was a minority group at the time. “Jesus’ way was always to welcome, reconnect, reintegrate and open hearts of people to share in life,” Bishop Alleyne stated. 

He made reference to Acts 10 where St. Peter breaks through his own prejudices to new insight that “God does not have favourites, but anyone who fears God and does what is pleasing to him is acceptable to him.”

The Roman Catholic Bishop expressed that while the issue of LGBT rights is a sensitive one, a referendum on the matter would not be the right path for repealing discriminatory laws. “This topic is a volatile one.  There is still a lot of fear and insufficient listening to expect an objective response from people,” Bishop Alleyne. 

He closed his remarks by praying from Psalm 139 which recalls the dignity and uniqueness of each person and the charge to be honest and transparent with one’s self and others calling on God’s guidance to do always what is right and appropriate.