Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference call for Peace Amid Growing Military tensions

GREAT BAY--The Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) have expressed grave concern over the recent build-up of naval and other military assets in the Southern Caribbean, warning that such actions threaten the socio-economic, political, and humanitarian stability of the region.

AEC President Archbishop Jason Gordon said the Church views the current situation with deep unease and calls for restraint, dialogue, and unity among Caribbean nations.

“The Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference view with grave concern the recent build-up of naval and other military assets in the Southern Caribbean, and the potential implications this poses for the socio-economic, political, and humanitarian well-being of our region and its people,” the Archbishop said.

As the world prepares to commemorate the 59th World Day of Peace, Archbishop Gordon reflected on the enduring relevance of Pope Paul VI’s 1966 message at the institution of the observance, in which he urged humanity to pursue negotiation rather than war.

“As we reflect on the words of Pope Paul VI, who in 1966 at the institution of this observance, urged humanity to pursue negotiation rather than war, we recognise that once again we stand at a crossroads,” Archbishop Gordon said.

“Dialogue and cooperation are urgently needed to ease mounting geopolitical tensions and to foster lasting peace. At the same time, we must speak clearly to the moral challenges facing our region.”

The Archbishop underscored the devastating impact of the narcotics trade on Caribbean societies, noting that it continues to erode lives, futures, and the moral fabric of communities.

“The narcotics trade continues to devastate Caribbean societies—eroding lives, futures, and the very moral fabric of our communities. This is a grave crisis for the Church and for families everywhere, and one we are duty-bound to confront,” he said.

He made clear, however, that unlawful or violent responses cannot be justified.

“Yet, the arbitrary and unwarranted taking of life cannot be justified as a means of resolution. Such acts violate the sacredness of human life,” the Archbishop said.

“Likewise, the disregard for the sovereignty of independent nations cannot be accepted as a reasonable measure in the name of border security. War or the threat of war is never the right solution.”

Archbishop Gordon invoked the words of Pope Leo, reminding the faithful of the Church’s consistent stance against war:

“To quote Pope Leo at a recent General Audience: ‘We must never become accustomed to war.’”

He also cited Pope Saint John XXIII, who proclaimed that “true peace can be born only from a heart disarmed of anxiety and the fear of war.”

The Archbishop said the presence of warships and the disruption of marine livelihoods in Caribbean waters represent “real and immediate threats to regional stability and to the welfare of our nations.”

“As peoples united by a shared heritage and collective identity, we must continue to reject aggression and intimidation as means of resolving conflict or ideological differences,” he added.

“Our history has shown that discourse and negotiation have served us well as independent nations, united in community and cooperation.”

He called on Caribbean leaders to listen to the voices of their people and remain guided by the principles of Scripture.

“We are attentive to the voices and expressed concerns of our people and urge that we be guided by the teachings of Scripture. We are commanded to love one another, even our enemies. The world may be at war, but we are called to pray for peace and to act in peace.”

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Archbishop Gordon said the Church continues its mission of pardon and restoration while upholding its duty to protect the vulnerable and marginalized.

“In this Jubilee Year of Hope, as the Church continues the ancient tradition of pardon and restoration, we reaffirm our common goal and shared brotherhood that transcend borders and national interests.

The Church remains steadfast in the need to protect all in society, especially those who are most vulnerable and economically marginalised. The objectives of securing our borders and the elimination of the narcotics trade must be pursued with the respect for law, the dignity of human life and with a tacit understanding of our region’s deep commitment to peace.”

The Archbishop concluded with a dual appeal, one to leaders, and another to the faithful:

“To those entrusted with leadership, we appeal for a de-escalation of militarisation and a renewed commitment to dialogue and regional unity.

To the faithful, we call for renewed focus on faith and trust in the Lord, resisting the discouragement and cynicism that threaten to overwhelm us.”

He encouraged believers to embrace acts of reconciliation, the observance of the sacraments, and the family rosary as “powerful expressions of hope—expressions that move heaven and can change the hearts of humankind.”

“We stand in solidarity with all the peoples of the Caribbean, especially those most directly affected by this situation,” Archbishop Gordon said.

“Together, we place our hope, trust, and prayers in the pursuit of a peaceful and just resolution that upholds human dignity, national sovereignty, and the common good of all.”

(𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢, 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘢, 𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘢, 𝘉𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘴, 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘴, 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦, 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘥𝘢, 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘶, 𝘊𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘢ç𝘢𝘰, 𝘋𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢, 𝘎𝘶𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘦, 𝘎𝘶𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦, 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵, 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦, 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘢, 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘌𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘶𝘴, 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴, 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢, 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘰, 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘴 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴.)

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