Anti-abortion sisters petition Pope Stop Hunte Award
Apr 05, 2005
Julian Hunte at the top of his game! Secretary-General Kofi Annan (second from left) draws a lot for the first seat for the 59th Session of the General Assembly selecting St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Left is Chen Jian, Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management. Right is Hunte, President of the 58th session of the General Assembly.
(Star, September 17th, 2004) When the STAR caught up with Senator Julian Hunte yesterday he was, he said, “in transition.” Though his year-long stint as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations was up, he was still at the New York office, albeit on a different floor now, “tying up some loose ends.”
The weather? “It’s raining a little,” he told me, pleasant as always—well, where this reporter is concerned anyway.
For once Mr Hunte was unprepared to answer a question. Mine on this occasion was: “How do you feel about plans to sabotage your receiving Pope John Paul II’s Knight of the Grand Cross Pian Order this coming Sunday?”
Calm as ever, he replied: “I will make a statement next week on the issue. Take care dear.”
The award is in recognition of Julian Hunte’s accomplishments at the UN and for the major role he played in the consensus adoption of the General Assembly resolution entitled “participation of the Holy See in the work of the United Nations.” The award is expected to be given to Senator Hunte by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
But that’s not going to happen if some parties based in St Lucia have their way. A letter written by Human Life St Lucia president Caroline Flood-Edgar and sent to the Pope and the Cardinal may well jeopardize the ceremony, depending on how significant the Vatican considers its content.
In the letter, Edgar, the sister of dismissed minister Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, informs his Holiness of certain “sins” of Mr Hunte that the Pope might find disturbing. Did someone say sousé? Edgar informed the Pope that Hunte had voted pro-abortion in a recent local debate.
“We, as believing and practicing Catholics, are very disturbed and scandalized at the fact that an individual who was pivotal and instrumental in the successful passing of the St Lucia Criminal Code, which legalized abortion in St Lucia is now receiving a significant honor from the Catholic church,” states Edgar. “Even worse this commendation comes within seven months of him publicly and unapologetically supporting and voting for a law that negates divine precepts and the natural law, denies the fundamental right to life of the unborn child and ignores the teachings of our Church as expressed in Evangelium Vitae. Even worse, Holy Father, it is issued in your name and presumably with your approval.”
Edgar went on to say that the Knighthood of Mr Hunte was sending a terrible and disconsolate message to St Lucia’s faithful Catholics.
Edgar posed some questions to His Holiness: “What comfort does this bring to persons such as Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and Fr Linus Clovis and the myriad of others who put their necks on the block in trying to stop the legal establishment of abortion in St Lucia or anywhere else in the world?”
Edgar begged the Pope to disregard the lack of protocol, since time was of the essence: “We beseech you, Holy Father, to act in our defense lest the enemy overwhelm the Church of Christ here in St Lucia!”
His Holiness was even provided with the text of Mr Hunte’s speech in the House.
“My own position in the argument on Clause 166 is really simple and very clear,” said Hunte at the time. “I think every woman must have a choice. I am a pro-choice man. A woman must be the one who will decide what she wants to do in any given situation. I respect the moral argument.”
Hunte also said: “We live in an age where we have to accept the realities of some of the things that are taking place. Science technology and yes let there be a place for morality; let there be a place for religion; every one has its place but insofar as rights are concerned, I apologize to those whom I may offend.”
As for fired Minister Sarah Flood-Beaubrun she put her support behind her sister’s letter. After all her own fight against Clause 166 had got her the boot.
“It is very likely that the Holy Father is not aware what Mr Hunte’s position was regarding the abortion law,” Beaubrun told the STAR Wednesday. “In fact the sittings of the Senate are not televised. The press is not allowed in and the only way one would actually find out what Mr Hunte’s position would be if the person looked it up in Hansard. As you well know Mr Hunte spends most of his time overseas. So one may not know that Mr Hunte came down for that special sitting. It is very likely that the Holy Father and the Vatican may not know. I support the position that we should seek to bring it to His Holiness’ attention and for that reason I support the letter.”
But though the sisters seem united in the effort to inform the Pope of Hunte’s St Lucian dealings there are those who think that their move is “un-Christian.”
In an RCI interview yesterday feminist Flavia Cherry said that the sisters were acting against the principles of Christianity.
“It is un-Christian for people who profess to be that way to attempt to deny him what he justly deserved. This goes against the basic principles of Christianity, which are love, tolerance, understanding. Senator Hunte as a Roman Catholic is entitled to his opinion and he like all Catholics is guided by Canon law, which gives him the right to take decisions based on his conscience. So I think it is a very unfortunate thing and I believe that in the final analysis good sense will prevail and Senator Hunte will get his award because he deserves it.”
There has also been some speculation on Hunte’s political future. The rumors are that he will replace Mario Michel as the SLP’s candidate for Gros Islet. Hunte’s son Chris of Lucians fame commented yesterday on his father’s future:
“You are asking somebody to come from Kofi Anan back to Pi Banan! Because Mario says he is not running everybody is calling for Hunte back again. But he was there in 1997 and the people did not want him when he ran as an independent. And the same people that said all sorts of things about him are gonna turn around and make like he is the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
Meanwhile we await Julian Hunte’s promised response! Hopefully the Pope won’t find out Hunte’s not even a Catholic, that he’s actually of the Anglican faith!
Anti-abortion sisters petition Pope Stop Hunte Award