When You're in a Small World, You Feel That's the Whole

A suspended Catholic priest on the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada has turned to calypso music to voice his opinions on issues from the conflict in Gaza to sexual abuse within the church. Father Gerard Paul, 64, a native of Grenada, is no longer permitted to conduct masses, funerals, weddings, or baptisms after repeated criticisms of the church and its clergy. But the suspension has not silenced him; he has embraced calypso, an Afro-Caribbean genre known for witty lyrics and sharp social commentary, as his new platform.

"It's a kind of pulpit for me, Paul told The Associated Press in a recent phone interview. He made his debut this year at Spicemas, Grenada's largest soca and calypso carnival, which commemorates the rebellion against enslavement. Performing as "Father Paul, he reached the finals and is set to compete against ten other singers this weekend, including acts like "Killa B" and "Sour Serpent.

Paul joined the seminary four decades ago and has served as a priest for 32 years, saying, "I was always concerned about the plight of the masses, so I saw the church as a vehicle for societal change. His first foray into calypso came in 1988 during seminary days in Trinidad and Tobago, where he placed second in a competition. After his suspension two years ago, following a sermon criticising Israel's actions in Gaza, Paul reignited his passion for calypso and has recorded two songs: "Oh Gaza" and "Ah Want Ah Radar.

"I can't quite say I miss the ritual, he said, "Although I loved the ritual... there is a lot of limitation to it as well. He explained that while he cherished interactions with his congregation, being a calypso singer lets him connect with a much broader audience. "When you're in a small world, you feel that's the whole world, Paul said.

"As a much bigger world opens to you, you can't go back. His song "Ah Want Ah Radar" riffs on the U.S. government's request last year to install a radar at Grenada's international airport as the U.S. military targeted suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. Paul's lyrics highlight Grenada's government's perceived inaction, which led to the U.S. installing a radar in neighbouring Tobago.

In the song, he appeals to U.S. President Donald Trump for a radar of his own, which he says he would use to expose sexual abuse within the church. "I'm begging the US, please, Paul sings. His lyrics become explicit on clergy celibacy: "We all know the Catholic faith say that priests must be celibate, but they love what they say they hate.

And it's just a cover-up from the level of the top, he sings, referencing clergy engaging in sexual acts with boys. Paul received an indefinite suspension in April 2024, following a March 2024 sermon at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in St George's, where he criticised Israel and accused it of committing genocide in Gaza – an accusation Israel vehemently denies. Footage of the sermon, initially shared by Good News Catholic Communications before being deleted, was later published on social media by The Bubb Report.

During the sermon, Paul urged the pope, bishops, and priests to speak out. "We cannot rightly ever preach the gospel if we do not stand for justice, he declared, to applause. He added: "When you stand in silence, when you sit in silence, you are part of the injustice.

Then-Bishop Clyde Harvey criticised the sermon as a "diatribe, saying he had not authorised Paul's remarks. Harvey countered, "We can be proud to belong to a church which fails sometimes, but … is always standing up wherever it can for justice. On 4 April 2024, Paul was indefinitely suspended.

In a statement, Bishop Harvey accused Paul of "persistent" attacks on the church and its leadership, asserting that his statements "have confused, harmed and scandalized many faith-filled persons. They have brought his fellow clergy into disrepute.