Anglican church apologises for fashion show

Another model uses a bikini with the National Colours. - Jeff Mayers

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH issued a public apology to Anglicans, religious organisations and the general public for what they called “misuse” of the church.

This comes in the aftermath of a fashion show staged over the weekend at the Trinity Cathedral in Port of Spain.

The fashion show raised the ire of several religious bodies and members of the general public after images of scantily-clad women in the church displaying bikinis designed by locals began circulating on social media.

In the release, Bishop Claude Berkley said the church “missed the mark” with the show and what it featured, and expressed regret and remorse.

“We are deeply sorry!” Berkley said “Further investigation of the issue will follow and appropriate measures taken to prevent any recurrence of this kind of exposure. Be assured that what took place is not the practice of the Anglican Church. Even though the church might promote the positive aspects of the culture in which it witnesses, due care must be taken to ensure that participants do not cross the line into negativity and impropriety.”

It was noted that the church had hosted fashion shows before, and the show over the weekend had been approved with clear guidelines but there was a “deviation” from what was agreed.

“At the first sight of this deviation, the show should have been shut down,” Berkley said, “This has been a blatant breach of the guidelines and a breach of trust, to the detriment of the church and its community. We must take full responsibility for the laxity in regulating the use of the church’s space. The church advocates and exhorts its members to modesty in dress and deportment, and it is a direct contradiction and affront, that this display of immodesty took place.”

Berkley said further investigation into the matter would follow and appropriate measures would be taken to prevent the same happening again.