By Candia Dames ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:
Revealing details of the "embarrassing scandal" that has hit the Anglican Church in The Bahamas, retired Archbishop Drexel Gomez said in an affidavit filed late yesterday afternoon that during his tenure he had permitted Archdeacon Etienne Bowleg to remain as rector of Holy Trinity Church until he received information from one of the priest's siblings about his age and the unequal treatment of other clergymen of the same age.
Gomez said in his affidavit that the audited accounts relating to Holy Trinity revealed that the vestry of the church was making monthly payments of $3,000 to provide an annuity to Bowleg upon his retirement.
The archbishop's affidavit was made on behalf of the Anglican Church and Bishop Laish Boyd in support of their applications to discharge or vary an order issued by Senior Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs.
Isaacs recently granted an injunction blocking Boyd or anyone else from removing Bowleg until his matter is heard in court.
After fighting unsuccessfully to get the public record altered to have his birth year recognized as eight years later than what is recorded on his birth certificate, Bowleg filed another court application, alleging that Boyd has no authority to remove him as rector because the church regulation under which the bishop acted was never gazetted.
The retired archbishop said that on October 8, 2007 he wrote Bowleg advising him that as he had attained the retirement age he was required to vacate his office as of December 31, 2007.
Gomez said Bowleg wrote him on October 28, 2007 asserting that his date of birth is December 18, 1945 (although his birth certificate states the year of his birth as 1937).
The retired archbishop said he wrote Bowleg several times on this matter, but the archdeacon refused to leave his office.
He said that on February 28, 2008 he wrote Bowleg and warned him that "until I was in possession of a certified copy of a corrected birth certificate from the Registrar General's Office, that I would have to rely on the birth certificate issued by the registrar general which I had in my possession."
Gomez said attorney Sir Orville Turnquest wrote him on July 4, 2008 and informed him of an ex parte Supreme Court order declaring that Bowleg's date of birth is December 18, 1945 and that this declaration should take precedence over his birth certificate.
The retired archbishop said he wrote Sir Orville and expressed his disappointment that he had not been informed of the court proceedings. Gomez said he then informed the Office of the Attorney General of the order and provided the attorney general with copies of the documents which he had collected in relation to Bowleg's age.
"I was motivated by my concern that the public register of births and deaths was in danger of being corrupted and the Church of England in The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands drawn into an embarrassing scandal relating thereto," Gomez said.
He noted that after the intervention of the attorney general the Supreme Court set aside the earlier order recognizing Bowleg's birth date as December 18, 1945.
Following Gomez's retirement, Boyd, his successor, wrote Bowleg requiring him to demit office. But, according to the affidavit, Bowleg wrote Boyd expressing his regret and displeasure at the decision to ask him to leave and "surprisingly indicated that it was humanly impossible to vacate the office in such a short time" and asked for permission to postpone his demission from office further.
Gomez said that on January 1, 2010, Bowleg formally resigned as archdeacon of the West Central Archdeaconry and Sub Dean of the Cathedral.
Boyd agreed to extend Bowleg's time, but only until January 31, the affidavit said.
It further said Boyd indicated that "he is acutely aware of all the circumstances, including his pastoral responsibility and the scandal to which the church had been exposed."
Gomez said that in filing his recent writ of summons in court, Bowleg failed to reveal several things, including the potential for the holding of a trial in the Diocesan Court pursuant to the Anglican Church's constitution, in relation to his conduct, and for the potential of his conviction following such trial, as well as the potential for his punishment inclusive of being unfrocked.
"Moreover, [Bowleg] has not disclosed to the honorable Supreme Court the duty of the diocesan bishop to protect his diocese from being scandalized, nor the duty to protect the souls of the members of the church in each parish, nor the duty to protect the assets of the church which have been entrusted by statute to the [Anglican Church in The Bahamas]," he said in his affidavit.
With a 1937 birth certificate, Bowleg's age is recognized by the Diocese as 72, two years beyond the mandatory retirement age for Anglican priests. He claims, however, to be 64.
According to Gomez's affidavit, Bowleg was ordained in the 1960s and was appointed by Bishop Michael Eldon rector of Holy Trinity in 1972.
Gomez said, "I am disappointed that he (Bowleg) now seeks to impugn the amendments to the Constitution and Regulations of the Church of England in The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands as being contrary to law when it is clear that he supported the passage of such amendments and has acted on the premise that the same are binding upon him and require his retirement at the age of 70."
Wednesday February 3 2010
