Today, June 29, is the feast of Sts Peter and Paul. It is of ancient origin within Christianity. This year the feast day coincides with a historic Jamaican event: Portia Simpson Miller and Omar Davies have indicated that they will resign from Parliament effective today. There are indeed some similarities.

The authority handed to Peter and the apostles, and passed down to the bishops, is called apostolic succession. With respect to the resignations of Portia Simpson Miller and Omar Davies we are talking about political succession, at least in one political party.

Because the Roman Catholic population in Jamaica is less than three per cent, one expects negative feedback on a column like this written by a Roman Catholic. At the same time, those who do not like what I write today should know that there are many readers who like it, and some wish I would write even more columns like this.

And, by the way, if Jamaica had an international fishing day on June 29 — since Simon Peter’s original occupation was fishing — it could boost the tourism product.

The feast day is of great significance in the Roman Catholic Church, which traces its beginning to the words of Jesus Christ to Simon: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I build my church. The gates of hell shall never prevail against it, and I will be with you until the end of time. I will give you the keys of the kingdom; whatever you bound on Earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19)

As far as the Roman Catholic Church is concerned, Simon Peter was the very first pope. True, the word “pope” (papa, daddy) to describe the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church did not come into being until many years later, but that does not in any way alter the claim.

Other Christian denominations believe that the authority given to Peter ended with his death. The notion preached by some churches that the Roman Catholic Church begun with the Emperor Constantine is of recent vintage and cannot be traced to antiquity. From the earliest times Christians accepted the apostolic authority of the pope or, in the case of Orthodox Christians, the authority of the apostle and his successors who brought Christianity to their section of the world.

This feast extends to the fishermen’s organisations all over the world, since fishing was Peter’s vocation. Here, in Jamaica, the Fishermen’s Co-operatives will mark the day at an appropriate event. This is the influence of the Fishermen’s Co-operatives that started somewhere in the Christian Church, especially those churches that can trace their origins back to antiquity. Others will mark the day with stories of conversion. Paul was converted on the road to Damascus.

While many Jamaicans will focus on the resignations of Portia Simpson Miller and Omar Davies today, the significance of Peter’s apostolic ministry and the passing on of the political baton in one of our major political parties can be instructive. Jesus ascended into heaven and left Peter in charge, who would deny him three times before the cock crowed.

But Peter was left in charge of the Church, which started on the day of Pentecost by the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the early church St Paul, as well as Peter and John, would send many letters to the different small church communities. But in those letters he would be warning the church communities to come back to the teachings of Christianity.

These warnings have their roots in the Old Testament, where the prophets warned the chosen people to come back to the will and commandments of Almighty God. In a way the apostles who not only were the holders of the authority, but also the interpretation of the scriptures, replaced the prophets of old.

Understandest what thou readest?” Philip asks the Ethiopian eunuch. (Acts 8:29-31). And the eunuch replies, “How can I unless I have someone to guide me.” This helps to explain what the Roman Catholic Church calls the teaching magisterium of the Church: the authority of the apostles passed on in succession to the bishops throughout the ages to the present time.

Norman Manley was the first president of the People’s National Party (PNP). While I am in agreement with those who say that O T Fairclough was the founder of the PNP (Norman Manley himself said that he did not claim to be its founder), it was Norman Manley who conceptualised its ideology. Do many of the present generation of PNP leaders understand what they read? Or do they even understand what the PNP is really about?

While Michael Manley at least kept the Democratic Socialist concept alive when he succeeded his father at the helm, it is difficult to say the same for P J Patterson and Portia Simpson Miller. It is time, in my opinion, for the PNP to return to its ideological roots. I happen to believe that Peter Phillips is the man to do that.

Just as the prophets of old brought the chosen people back to God, and the new testament writers brought the early Christian communities back to the Christian message, so too should the present generation of Marcus Garvey’s movement return to his philosophy and principles. The same is true of the PNP with respect to Manley.

More importantly, what we need in this country before we can have fundamental change is a proper development of individual consciences to improve in turn the national conscience. And this is where religion comes in. It is difficult to develop in people a sense of consciousness without a sense of godliness. Is this why we do not seem to be winning the fight against crime and violence in Jamaica?

It is my hope that on a day when the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul coincides with the resignation of two of our legislators who have held senior public office, that we will meditate on Jesus Christ to convert us from a life of sin to a life of holiness.

ekrubm765@yahoo.com