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A woman rings a bell in protest against Gonsalves delivering a tribute at E.G. Lynch's funeral on July 19, 2014. (IWN photo)
A woman rings a bell in protest against Gonsalves delivering a tribute at E.G. Lynch’s funeral on July 19, 2014. (IWN photo)
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A priest has apologised to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves for the development at the funeral of EG Lynch on July 19, where some mourners prevented Gonsalves from delivering a tribute as scheduled.

Kari Xavier Marcelle, the priest in charge of the Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown, where the development took place, apologised to Gonsalves in a letter last week, the Prime Minister told the media this week.

Marcelle was out of state at the time of the funeral, at which Father Ulric Jones officiated.

A second of the crowd booed Gonsalves, while at least one bell was rung as he was called to deliver a tribute at the funeral of his one-time political ally turned foe.

Gonsalves told the media that Marcehlle’s apology came after Gonsalves attended a funeral at the church last week.

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“He asked the congregation to stand as I came through as a mark of respect until the Prime Minister took his seat. The courtesies were extended at the end of the service again, in a way in which he considered very proper. And the church followed and they were very dignified and they followed the instruction of Father Marcelle,” Gonsalves said of his treatment at the funeral last week.

Gonsalves said he received a letter from the priest that same day, in which the cleric wrote:

“Permit me to extend my sincerest apologies for the lack of decorum and poise displayed at the funeral of E.G. Lynch in the month of July. Regrettably, I was out of the state. The obvious procedures of protocol were not observed and the lack of respect for God and each other was embarrassing and distasteful and for this, again, I apologise.

“Please be assured that you are welcomed in our parish church and congregations within the parish, Mt Grennan to Fancy, at any service or occasion that your schedule will allow and that you, your government, and the opposition are always in our prayers,” Gonsalves quoted the letter as saying.

Gonsalves also said that the priest wrote about other things, but did not disclose them.

“So, I am very happy to have received this letter. I know the people of the parish and also in the church most of whom, as you will expect, given the majorities that I have had in North Central, support me politically, and this is an indication from their resident priest as to how they felt about what transpired in July at E.G. Lynch’s funeral. So, I thought it fair to bring this to your attention,” said Gonsalves who is parliamentary representative for North Central Windward, where the church is located.

5 replies on “Priest apologises to PM for fracas at EG’s funeral ”

  1. Ha- Ha !! Comrade getting nervous about his own seat. The chickens are coming home.

    Sorry Comrade, but I see some difficult days in your future and I am not wishing you well.

  2. come on people you were at a church not at the victoria park. anyway that is why i say rastafari cause the same people dem who say church look at them in a church. how can you say you worship and love jesus christ and support anyone who stones a church and behave like this. you will never see this in a boboshanti, twelve tribe or nyahbynghi gathering. shameless

  3. He should have been excomunicated for the way he treated Lynch when he was alive.

    As for the priest, he should be demanding an aplogy from him for saying “if I work Obeah, I only work Obeah for the Lord”

    They need to post a notice on the Church notice board banning from Church property those who worship Obeah.

  4. Well now that the priest finds it his duty to apologize to Gonsalves, shouldn’t he now ask Gonsalves to apologize to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the utter mismanagement of tne country’s financial resources? Has the priest heard of recent quandry of NIS? Does he know why the national bank was sold to a foreign company and called a masterstroke? Why are the farmers not planting bananas, or is banana dead? So, tell the PM to apologize to the people of SVG Mr priest.

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