Caribbean Anglican bishops meet in Belize
Anglican Bishops from throughout the region are meeting in Belize to discuss a number of issues affecting their church and society. Today, as the bishops met for their first day of discussions, we caught up with the Most Reverend Orland Lindsay, Archbishop of the West Indies and the Right Reverend Sylvestre Romero-Palma, the Anglican Bishop of Belize.
Orland U. Lindsay, Archbishop of the West Indies
“We meet roughly twice in every year and we move from diocese and diocese, discussing things affecting the life and work of the province and of course each diocese. At this particular one, we are dealing with routine matters but also we are making preparations for the fourth coming Lambeth conference. Every ten years, the Bishops of the Anglican Communion meet together under the Archbishop of Canterbury. In July and August of this year we will be meeting in Canterbury and we as members of the House of Bishops of the Church in the Province of the West Indies and the Provincial standing committee.”
Q: “What are some of the issues affecting the life of the Province?”
Orland U. Lindsay
“There are quite a few things. One is that well, we are a separated Province, in the sense that we are eight dioceses and we are scattered, but the whole question of poverty for one thing. We are a poor region compared with other places, the whole question of economics and where our people live. This is an important thing for us. Also we are discussing the training of the clergy, the mission of the church and the ministry of the church and other related matters.”
Sylvestre Romero-Palma, Anglican Bishop of Belize
“I think the members of the Anglican Church in Belize need to see themselves as a wider church. It is not only the diocese of Belize, but it is a wider church connected to the Province as well as the whole Anglican Communion in the world and to know that our brothers are here to discuss issues the Anglican Communion as well as issues that concern each of our diocese and especially our diocese of Belize.”
The meeting, being held at the Belize Biltmore Plaza, comes to a close on Thursday.
