A Trini Pope?

THE EDITOR: The Roman Catholic Church is based in the Vatican in Rome. Rome is a city in Italy and is inhabited by Italians. For over 20 years the Roman Catholic Church has been headed by a Pope who comes from Poland. He’s not an Italian. In centuries past, many Popes have been non-Italians. This is something to be admired because even in its founding city of Rome, the Catholic Church is ruled by non-Italians.

Manning’s recent outburst about wanting a national of this country to be Archbishop of Port-of-Spain is shocking. It betrays a level of ignorance about the principles of true Christian brotherhood and the workings of a church that operates as an international organisation. Moreover it demonstrates a dismaying level of petulant and outdated nationalism that fell out of vogue in the 1970s. The planet is now a global village which ought to be obvious by now to all right-thinking people. How can we hope for a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago to become the Pope in Rome if we cannot permit an American to be Archbishop of Port-of-Spain. It seems to me that Manning only opens his mouth to change feet. What an embarrassment.

TIMOTHY RICEMAN
Woodbrook