‘Beware of lies, half-truths and innuendos’

“How many people do we know have given up their Christian values and habits because they have been told that the Church is old fashioned or priests are all scamps etcetera?” asked Harris.

He said every national sang the words of the National Anthem “every creed and race has an equal place” but he bemoaned that politics has removed that value through propaganda which reforms or misforms our consciousness. It was wise people who ensured that the movement begun by Jesus would continue. They did not let themselves be fooled by the propaganda. The people of Jersualem did not follow those who thought that they had won,” the Archbishop said. He said opinion making had become a fine art, but warned that the wisdom by which we live our lives, would define the type of opinion makers we become.

“Today in this country of ours we need wise opinion makers, persons who are capable of forming opinion of others so people can come to know and accept the truth and so that wise choices are made. My friends when we use lies, half- truths and innuendos to change or to form opinions, we are doing a disservice to ourselves community and nation.

In fact we form and change opinions by the authenticity of our lives. If today there is a sense of hope in our church and in the world , it may be because the authenticity of life of Pope Francis is already giving a more attractive face to the church. It is authenticity of life which will make others question their own lives,” he said.

Harris also reminded his parishioners that there was nobility in being faithful to the values to which they have committed themselves through baptism and confirmation. He warned that in doing so some persons may lose position, status, money and power but noted that there was a need to recover a sense of nobility. “Most important this is what Catholic and Christians families have to teach their children so that they too can influence those with whom they interact,” Harris said. “We also need to reach our young ones to be discerning, so that they can be faithful. Just as that faithful remnant of wise discerning people ensured that the movement begun by Jesus lives on so it is the faithful remnant of wise discerning people who today will ensure that the best in our tradition lives on,” he stressed.

The Archbishop also told the faithful that they also had a duty to pass on the traditions and wisdom to the next generation.