In the Roman Catholic Church, October is the month of the rosary. The Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated universally on October 7. The rosary method of praying took about 800 years to evolve and is really a set of beads that represent the Lord’s Prayer (said 11 times) and the Hail Mary prayer (said 53 times). There are also other prayers, such the Apostles Creed which is said at the beginning, another prayer at the end of each decade of the rosary, and prayers said at the end of the recitation.

The rosary is a summary of the four gospels done in prayer by meditating on the mysteries in the life of Jesus Christ. Many times, prayers are said for peace, while praying the five joyful mysteries, the five sorrowful mysteries, the five glorious mysteries, or the five luminous mysteries. In the Roman Catholic Church, we recognise Jesus Christ as the prince of peace, so prayers for peace said while meditating upon any of the mysteries of Christ during the recitation of the rosary are very much in order.

While Christians should be the greatest agents of peace, it is indeed ironic that there is so much conflict between religions and Christian denominations, and also within Christian denominations. The recent demotion of the head girl at St Hilda’s in St Ann because of her supposed religious beliefs, as she was believed to be a Jehovah’s Witness, is very odious. How this could happen in Jamaica in 2015 is beyond explanation.

What is more odious is that the school belongs to a denomination and claims to be a Christian institution. But, then again, there is so much religious conflict around the world and people are being killed by others who say that they believe in God. Still, this is not a reason to give up on religion. If the sinners in the churches and other religions were not there they might be worse, and there would be even less peace than we have now.

In the document on ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council — the 21st major Council of the Roman Catholic Church but the second one to be held at the Vatican — Roman Catholics are encouraged to work with what unites us with others and de-emphasise what divides us. While Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in inter-faith worship, that should not stop an attempt at a resolution. Let the other prefects do the prayers at assembly, for instance.

If the student at St Hilda’s was good enough to be head girl — assuming that her good qualities came from being associated with Christianity — then they should find out what unites Christians of her belief with theirs, like the 10 commandments, for example.

One long-term solution to this is that it should be mandatory for all principals and teachers to read the rights and freedoms in the Constitution of Jamaica and to sign a document upon appointment that they have read it. In this way, no principal or teacher could claim ignorance and seek mercy. Although ignorance of the law is no excuse, some judges opine in fairness that, in some instances, ignorance reduces culpability and are lenient if they have the option so let us reduce the ignorance.

Principals and teachers are, for the most part, well aware of their own rights, but many times fail to protect those of the students. If you serve on a school board, I would not suggest that you collectively attempt to dismiss or suspend a teacher unfairly unless you have a great fondness for being summoned to answer charges in court.

Nonetheless, one of the most talked about methods of bringing peace today is in working towards ‘conflict resolutions’ and ‘restorative justice’, whether in or out of church or other religions. Congratulations to all who are involved in this.

Still, I am curious as to how all of these ‘conflict resolutions’ can stop the class prejudice that abounds in Jamaica as well as the religious and political prejudice. The Roman Catholic Church has already apologised for its role in any such bigotry in its 2000-year history. Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church was banned in Jamaica for 136 years, between 1655 and 1791. But no apology was ever issued for that. Will any be forthcoming or should we just “move on”, as UK Prime Minister David Cameron suggests we do in the matter of

slavery?

I am certain that one job in the public sector that I did not get more than 20 years ago had to do with anti-Roman Catholic prejudice by one of the people on the interviewing panel. While not all wearers of dreadlocks are Rastafarians, I know of bank employees who had ‘dreadlocks’ before or after but not during that employment. Yet restaurant chefs who prepare food for consumption can wear dreadlocks if their heads are covered.

According to scripture, Jesus Christ said that, “…for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). While there is hostile conflict without resolution between some churches, within some churches and within marriages, there seems to be more resolutions found to conflicts within workplaces and within political parties. At a building construction site, for example, any breakdown in human relations can delay the completion of the construction, which will also delay payment. So conflict resolutions take place quickly so that the “dollars will flow”.

In Jamaican party politics, it is not so much the current issues that determine the winner, but the party that is best organised and united. Since internal conflicts destroy political unity, it is the party with the better conflict resolution apparatus that will be better organised to win. Political power and money motivates people toward a convenient and perhaps unreal cessation of hostility, but not an everlasting peace.

There is, however, documented evidence that prayers for peace said while reciting the rosary have been answered. Why not recite the rosary everywhere, in church, at work and in the political parties?

ekrubm765@yahoo.com

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There is documented evidence that prayers for peace said while reciting the rosary have been answered.