Archbishop Pinder's Red Mass 2025 Homily

Photo by Peter Ramsay

RED MASS HOMILY

by His Grace, Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder, S.T.D., C.M.G., K.C.*H.S.

Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral

Nassau, Bahamas

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Sunday, January 5th, 2025

Readings

Isaiah 60:1-6

[Psalm 72]

Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

Matthew 2:1-12

Chief Justice, Sir Ian Winder and fellow Justices of the Supreme Court, Justice Jon Isaacs and Justices of the Court of Appeal, other members of the Judiciary, President of the Bar Association and Bar Council, Members of the Bar and Legal Profession:

May I take this opportunity to wish each of you and your families every grace and blessing for the New Year.

We are gathered in worship for the Annual Red Mass invoking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit upon all those who labour in the administration of Justice among us.

This is a moment of solemn reflection which, hopefully, will bear fruit in action.

This year, the Red Mass falls on the Feast of Epiphany. There is a centuries-old custom, according to which, on Epiphany, a Proclamation is issued, indicating all the most important Liturgical Feasts for the year ahead.  For the Year 2025, this is what is says:

“Know, dear brothers and sisters,

that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ,

so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also

the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior.

On the fifth day of March will fall Ash Wednesday,

and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

On the twentieth day of April you will celebrate the joy of Easter Day, the Paschal Feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the first day of June will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the eighth day of June, the feast of Pentecost.

On the twenty-second day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi.

On the thirtieth day of November, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

The Gospel of Matthew recounts the first Epiphany, the first manifestation of Christ to the Nations, represented by the Magi.

The Gospel recounts that fateful journey of the Magi and the subsequent world-changing occurrences.

Epiphany is the feast recalling those world changing events.

The Magi’s journey, their perseverance, their moral certitude in the face of uncertainty, is a lesson for us.

Today, as we navigate the social challenges we face, such as crime, corruption, injustice or whatever, the journey of the Magi reminds us of our obligation to seek truth and justice, no matter how arduous the path.

This year, 2025, is a Jubilee Year, an event celebrated every 25 years in our Catholic tradition. The theme for this Jubilee Year is HOPE.  We are all invited to be Pilgrims of Hope.

Every year, since 1968, January 1st has been observed as World Day of Peace. This was started by Paul VI who was inspired by an encyclical of John XXIII, called Pacem in Terris, Peace on Earth.

In his World Day of Peace Message for this year, Pope Francis notes:  “In our day … the Jubilee is an event that inspires us to seek to establish the liberating justice of God in our World.”[1]

He later offers three proposals to the global community, three challenges really.[2]

Firstly, he appeals to international financial institutions to substantially reduce the debt burden on poor nations which seriously threatens the future of these poor nations.

Secondly, he calls for all nations to eliminate the death penalty as a concrete gesture in support of a culture of life.

Thirdly, “in a time marked by war,” he invites nations to use a percentage of the money earmarked for armaments to establish a Global Fund to eradicate hunger, promote sustainable development and combat climate change.

On our local plane, right now, there is no greater need than that of restoring trust in our fundamental society – binding and building institutions.

As Pilgrims of Hope, we may well pause for a minute and recall some words from the preamble of our National Constitution. It speaks of the establishment of “a free and Democratic Sovereign Nation founded on Spiritual Values … .” Spiritual Values!

We tend to be quite at home with material values. Spiritual values tend to be much less our stock in trade. The preamble earlier mentioned “a national commitment to self-discipline, industry, loyalty, unity and an abiding respect for Christian values and the Rule of Law.”

The Rule of Law is essential for order in our society and for our ordinary activities to be possible and even pleasant. But there is a sense in which law alone is not enough.

It has been noted that Democracy is not a machine that can run by itself.[3] It is not hardware that can be run by any software. It requires an independent Judiciary, to be sure. Just as importantly, it requires a vibrant public moral culture. The vitality of this public moral culture is crucial to any Democratic Society such as ours. It is essential to ensuring genuine human flourishing in any society. In the absence of such a public moral culture the result is social decay and calamity of all kinds.

In short, it takes people living certain virtues to make our way of life flourish. I am talking about honesty, dependability, punctuality, transparency, accountability, all those good habits we associate with integrity.  Integrity, we know, in doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

These thoughts were echoed very clearly in a recent editorial in one of our local newspapers.[4]  The writer stated: “Ultimately, building a better country is a collective responsibility that requires the efforts of citizen, government, business and civil society. Many people call for change in our nation but often do not want to change their own behaviours.”  The writer went on to conclude: “A collective effort to be better people contributes to a more harmonious and compassionate society.”

We know that the public moral culture, so necessary for the well-being of our way of life, is so deficient, too absent among us.  We see that in the rising tide of homicides, robberies and violent assaults.  We sense it in the tragic assault and murder of a 72-year-old grandmother and the brutal abduction, rape and murder of a 12-year-old schoolgirl. We recognize it in the stunning revelation of corrupt law enforcement officers engaging in crime for personal gain.

As members of the legal profession, you must never forget that building and expanding that vibrant public moral culture is your responsibility too.

This is most important as we know that our legal system, already stretched thin by the demands of increasing crime, struggles to address these pervasive issues.

Even as we call for Justice, we must acknowledge the immense burden carried by the system. Courts overwhelmed with backlogs, cases delayed for years by postponements for a multitude of reasons, and overworked legal professionals are symptoms of a system stretched to its limits. Yet, Justice delayed is Justice denied, not only for victims but for society at large.

The Prophet Isaiah, in our first reading today, declares “… though darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples, upon you the Lord shines and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light.” (Isaiah 60:1-6)

The Psalmist declares: “Light shines forth for the just and joy for the upright of heart.” (Psalm 97:11)

May these words bear particular significance for you at the start of this new legal year.

Building a vibrant public moral culture is the responsibility of every citizen.

In your sphere of competence and influence, it is your unique responsibility. You must lead the way.

As this is the Jubilee Year of Hope, let us all remember to be Pilgrims of Hope.

We have been assured that: “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite not knowing what the future may bring.”[5]

“We boast in our hope of sharing in the Glory of God”, says St. Paul.

“And Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:2-5)

May wisdom, the gift of the Holy Spirit, be your moral compass in this year and beyond.

I pray that in fulfillment of your duties as those who serve our community in the administration of Justice, you be guided by the Light of the Holy Spirit in all your efforts and deliberations, for the good of our Nation and for the Glory of God.

Amen!