Teachers’ Union Salutes Catholic Bishop, Rebukes Papal Nuncio

Adelaida Guerra

The Teachers’ Union also addressed the ongoing concern with the Roman Catholic management. Following a letter from Bishop Dorrick Wright addressing the strike plans, the Papal Nuncio visited Belize during which he expressed the view that Catholic teachers and students should go back to school. Executive member of the B.N.T.U. Council of Management Adelaida Guerra thanked the Bishop for his support and suggested that the Nuncio should have spoken with them before commenting.

Adelaida Guerra, Executive Member, B.N.T.U.

“What we want to say here on behalf of our teachers is that we support what the Bishop said in that letter, in that press release. We know that the Bishop was supporting us, but he was not telling us to – what he advocated is that parents need to use their discretion as to whether they will send their children to school or not. And we are thankful to the Bishop; we are very grateful for that press release. We are concerned because that has been discredited and used in different ways. One concern we have is whenever the Papal Nuncio came, he did not seek audience with the B.N.T.U. And he came and he had whatever meetings he had, and no meeting with the B.N.T.U., which we feel was a disrespect to us.”