00:00Addressing the tradition of receiving ashes, Monseigneur at the Chapel of Holiness, Martin Sergiu, tells the Morning Edition that those
00:09who attend Ash Wednesday services are not necessarily persons who planned to sin during Carnival festivities.
00:18Instead, he explains, it's often a culmination of personal struggles, habits or burdens that individuals wish to surrender as they
00:27enter the Holy Lenten season.
00:29Lent, he notes, is about intentional transformation and spiritual renewal.
00:36So if one is coming for ashes on Ash Wednesday, the behaviour at Carnival is not only this, it's just
00:45one thing to consider, but how have I been as a husband or wife, how have I been with respect
00:50to my children, my professional in my work and things like that.
00:54And so you cover the whole wide canvas of moral responsibility.
01:00He's also encouraging citizens not to abandon their religious values, emphasising that faith remains a stabilising force in uncertain times.
01:10Most people don't practice their faith, and so people today refer to themselves as, more often than not, I'm spiritual
01:18but not religious.
01:21But I would ask people not to give up on their religious tradition because of the age of it and
01:26the wisdom that it offers.
01:29And to arm themselves with all that is good in their religion and also to work on themselves better as
01:39families.
01:40Turning to national leadership, the Monsignor acknowledges that leaders, like all people, are imperfect and sometimes hit and miss.
01:49However, he stresses that leadership carries responsibility and those entrusted with guiding the country must strive toward integrity and moral
01:58accountability.
02:00Sometimes there is a gap between religious practice and putting into practice what my religion tells me to do.
02:09And sometimes that can clash with what the political agenda is.
02:16But if we want to make things better, if we want better political leaders or leaders in the elite sector
02:24and so on, I think it starts with the person.
02:28Recognising that the season of Ramadan coincides with Lent this year, Monsignor Serju extended greetings and blessings to the Muslim
02:37community,
02:38calling for collaboration among all religious bodies to foster meaningful change, growth and development within our nation.
02:46Nicole M. Romani, TV6 News.
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