In his concluding address to the Good News Catholic Communications (GNCC) panel on the Age of Civil Responsibility (ACR) Bill, Bishop Clyde Harvey delivered a series of thought-provoking insights. He emphasized that the bill does not strip parents of their rights but ensures that children in need receive necessary support. Harvey highlighted that the core issue lies not in legislation but in education, pointing out the church’s diminished role in educating teenagers and parents. He debunked the Caribbean myth that parents universally discourage sexual activity, noting that some even encourage it. Harvey underscored the church’s duty to protect the vulnerable, particularly children, and concluded with a powerful appeal: ‘The bill must be withdrawn in its present form and reintroduced in the new parliamentary session, preceded by a thorough review to align it with our deeper goals, including proper family education.’ This call for responsible leadership stands in stark contrast to the pervasive silence of many religious leaders on the sexual crisis. The article questions the church’s failure to address intimate partner violence, incest, rape, and adolescent pregnancy, largely driven by adult men. It critiques the church’s deviation from its mission of love, inclusion, fairness, and justice, attributing its timidity to cultural stigmatization of sexuality. The piece invokes the legacies of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, who championed justice and condemned silence. It concludes with a poignant inquiry into the absence of courageous voices among faith leaders, labeling their silence as scandalous. The article is co-signed by Tonia Frame, PhD, President of the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA), and Fred Nunes, PhD, Consultant for Advocates for Safe Parenthood: Improving Reproductive Equity (ASPIRE).
