Earlier on in this newscast, you heard the Leader of the Opposition refer to tomorrow's protest as a celebration. And indeed with the Prime Minister having withdrawn the Universal Motion, there is a palpable sense of relief. But, just in case, the churches have been calling for peace and sobriety, even as it accepts that there will be bitter protest. Today Anglican Bishop Phillip Wright sat down with Jules Vasquez to discuss the church's message and the validity of that message in the face of growing public tension.
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright, Bishop - Anglican Church
"We know that there is the real possibility of violence and maybe even destructive behavior and we want to voice our concern about that. But also to make the point to the leaders and also to the general public that we appreciate that in a democracy, people have a right to express themselves, they have a right to hold their leaders accountable and they have a right to demand the best because after all that is the whole process of a democracy.
If we are honest in a democracy, there has to be room for protest and there has to be a way in which the populace can make known their own frustrations and their own concerns and so on. I think if you remove that, then democracy has in a sense lost its meaning I think.
The church's position is always that we must fight for what is best for everybody and that we must never ignore the poorest of the poor among us and I think wherever decisions are made, that litigate against that, the church has to rise up and in a situation like this there is an increasing clamor for our leaders to be revisit this thing."
Jules Vasquez,
On the eve of this day, what would be your words of advice?
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright,
"I can only resound the call to let us, whatever we do, try and do it in a peaceful manner and with respect for each other and I don't have any other way to put it Jules than to strongly encourage our citizens to exercise their civil rights and duties but let's try our best to do it in a manner that respects the law and fights for peace and goodwill."
Jules Vasquez,
If some feel that the leaders have not respected the law, that the Prime Minister signed a deal settlement, signed a loan note, against the vision of the Finance and Audit Reform Act, and seeking to legalize that in the wording of this new motion, shouldn't they then be justified in saying, if you act illegally, I must act illegally,' because the illegality is the way you run this country?
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright,
"Well Jules you know I am going to come back to you with the whole adage two wrongs don't make a right and I think that's where the church is caught sometimes because the church is aware of all of that but yet has to put forward what it knows to be the best course and that is not because others have done wrong and you act illegally, means that gives anybody else the license. If we allow that and are we comfortable with that, God help us as a nation. Somebody has to stand up and say, right is right, wrong is wrong and that's the course I am going to support."
Of course, more than just sermonizing, the church has a valid and instrumental role to play in the democratic process. One of the members of the Senate is an appointee of the Council of Churches. But that member, Senator Moises Chan has stepped down from his seat after retiring. Now, when public interest legislation such as the BTL Vesting Bill goes before the Senate, the church's voice is not being heard. Bishop Wright discussed the effort to name a replacement.
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright,
"The President of the Council of Churches is away at the moment, Canon Flowers, and we are left now in a situation to decide how exactly that we might be able to do that. Now as I speak here I don't know and we will be looking into ways in which we can deal with that situation."
Jules Vasquez,
You all are just sitting on the fence. You have a role to play. You've been vested with a role and you're abdicating responsibility.
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright,
"Well speaking personally, it is a critical decision, it is a high priority issue but it is a matter of looking at the mechanism that is available to us right now and finding the proper way forward with it."
Jules Vasquez,
But you accept that we live in a modern time. Saying that someone is out of the country, its not like they are on the road to Damascus, you can reach people. He's a Canon in your church, you must can reach him and find out how we'll go ahead. The Senate meeting will most likely be on Tuesday. Will you all have a resolution by then?
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright,
"Hopefully. I've sent off an email and I am awaiting a response as well to see how to proceed there."
Jules Vasquez,
Will you have an answer by the time the Senate meeting is called?
Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright,
"I can't say for sure that we'll have an answer by then."
The Faith and Justice Commission of the Catholic Church also issued a statement today calling upon the government and the demonstrators to avoid violence.
