Father Facts Father Backwards

You can pick up your mistakes and treat them as a burden, or you can let them go and use them as a stepping stone to greatness”. This is a quote that came up on Google and “who knows” but I found it interesting and relevant to this article.

So like most St. Lucians, I hear and see a lot of videos of our stories, our faux pas, our comedy and many other sensational creations that we (yes, St. Lucians) create. No one is immune and so, just like that, the good priest, aka “Father Fact”, became an overnight celebrity with his Juke Bois image, but his version was saved and ascended to heaven in a matter of moments. I’m sure the real Juke Bois might not be so lucky.

After all, despite being raised in a family of friars, most of my classmates were devout Roman Catholics, and I can tell you that every single one of those classmates found Catholic sermons soporific and gloomy to say the least. I knew all the call songs and responses because the mockery was replayed every weekend after Mass. Although the way services are conducted within the Catholic Church has changed over the past decade or so, I believe that the evolution of “Father Fact” has seen more people return to church and a stronger appreciation for the relevant sermons and services. People love him, they talk about him everywhere, and you can hear their opinions echoing among Catholic parishioners. Many of them believe that he brings a new way to win souls to the religion. He speaks the truth, and he speaks bluntly to those who are sinful and consciously refuse to receive Holy Communion. Parishioners can walk away from Mass with new hope and choices about how to better relate to their family, friends, and even neighbors.

Of course, as with anything, there are always naysayers who have well-paying jobs and will let everyone know what they think. Father Facts, they say, is too liberal for the Catholic faith. He is not normal and too into farce. Some of them protested against removing him from their parishes because of his loud and carefree behavior. I am sure he has heard all the negative things said about his style and his involvement in the world. After all, I believe there is such a scripture that tells us to be in the world but not of it. (Please don’t quote me on this, I admit I was wrong because I am just a sinner). However, some people have a problem with Father Facts and his journey to stardom.

But God’s blessing wasn’t enough for the good priest. The good priest has since had a taste of celebrity. He has become some sort of superstar, if you will, and is currently moving into the realm of Catholic influencer. But as the devil would have it, he is no doubt keeping a close eye on the good priest and hoping he makes the mistake that celebrities make most often. We all get so caught up in our own thoughts at times that we forget we are human. We drink the juice of admiration and recognition, we get caught up in the ripples of the unknown and we lose our way. Well, it looks like the good priest, Father Facts is doing just that when he attends the Groovy Soca final on July 6, 2024.

The show started with a warm atmosphere, the atmosphere of the night was full of hope, the audience, after being stirred, sang loudly the songs of their favorite and expected monarch. I was excited, people were smiling and having fun, after all it was carnival time and the atmosphere of carnival was tense. Everything seemed to be going well. The demos were showing, the artists brought their Agames, the organizers looked promising. Then the unbelievable happened!! “Father Fact”, the kind priest was the protagonist of Ricky T’s “Your Turn”. The pearls around my neck became heavy and tight, and anxiety took over my heart. I felt ashamed. Was Father Fact reiterating and endorsing the lyrics of this song full of chauvinism, sexual derogatory and disrespect for women? I was surprised by the kind priest, and I am sure all the other audience members were horrified by this. He continued to ask everyone to repeat the slogan “de ting eh yours, it’s your turn”. After all, if Father Fact wanted a job in acting. He could have done “Take Me Down Seven Times, Ah, Stand Me Up Eight Times” or even a role in “Damn Proud Lucien”, but he didn’t. I know some of you will say that it was just for fun. No, it wasn’t!

Look, as a priest who is somewhat anti-trend, he is known for celebrating and supporting culture, which is fine, but when a person gets into trouble, his behavior lacks reason and piety. Father Fats lost his way that night, and the energy he used to correct his congregation is the same energy that I think people should stand up and demand an apology from him. I hope that the leaders of the Catholic Church, after seeing the egregious behavior of Father Fats, will ask him to repent and then ban him from preaching for the next six Masses. Confession has consequences, so he needs to understand that he is not just an ordinary person, but a person who is called to serve through the teachings and life of Jesus. He should not be found wading in it and sitting in the seat of contempt for lack of a better biblical reference.

Finally, I do believe in forgiveness, and so do the people of St. Lucia, and they have forgiven him with all their hearts. So we wait for the penitential period to be over before the kind priests can restore the mapleway portion of the Mass. Until then, if the priest can make a lapse in judgment, who am I? I still have hope, even though some people will tell you that hope is a motorboat.

The moral of the story is that we all make mistakes because we are all human, but shepherds are held to a higher standard. That is how it is. Fact Father, you were supposed to lead the flock, not join in the slaughter. We pray with love and compassion for your reinstatement.