A suspended Catholic priest from the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada has found a new pulpit in calypso music, using its rhythmic beats to voice his strong opinions on issues ranging from the conflict in Gaza to sexual abuse within the church.

Father Gerard Paul, a native of Grenada, is no longer permitted to conduct masses, funerals, weddings, or baptisms, following repeated criticisms of the church and its clergy.

However, this suspension has not silenced him; instead, he has embraced calypso, an Afro-Caribbean genre renowned for its 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.

The 64-year-old priest made his debut this year at Spicemas, Grenada’s largest soca and calypso carnival. This annual event, like many across the Caribbean, commemorates the rebellion against enslavement. Performing as "Father Paul”, he successfully reached the finals and is set to compete against ten other singers this weekend, including well-known acts like "Killa B" and "Sour Serpent”.

Paul joined the seminary four decades ago and has served as a priest for 32 years, stating, "I was always concerned about the plight of the masses, so I saw the church as a vehicle for societal change." His initial foray into calypso occurred in 1988 during his seminary days in Trinidad and Tobago, where he placed second in a competition.

His priestly duties then took precedence, but after his suspension two years ago, following a sermon criticising Israel's actions in Gaza, Paul reignited his passion for calypso. He has since recorded two songs: "Oh Gaza" and "Ah Want Ah Radar."

"I can’t quite say I miss the ritual," he remarked, referring to his priestly duties. "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 allows him to 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."

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Paul’s song "Ah Want Ah Radar" serves as a potent form of social criticism. It riffs on the real-life request by the U.S. government 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. eventually installing a radar in neighbouring Tobago.

In the song, Paul directly appeals to US President Donald Trump for a radar of his own, which he declares he would use to expose sexual abuse within the church. "I’m begging the US, please," Paul sings.

His lyrics become explicit as he addresses celibacy within the clergy: "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, who has frequently clashed with the church in recent years, received an indefinite suspension in April 2024. This followed 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 (an arm of the Catholic Diocese of St. George’s in Grenada) before being deleted, was later published on social media by The Bubb Report, a local investigative journalism programme.

During his 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 from some congregants. He added: "When you stand in silence, when you sit in silence, you are part of the injustice."

Then-Bishop Clyde Harvey criticised Paul’s sermon as a "diatribe," stating he had not authorised the priest’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."

Harvey further wrote: "When Fr Paul said, ‘I have no regrets and I will do it again,’ he put himself beyond review and fraternal correction. No institution can survive when such attitudes and actions are adopted."

However, in a video posted on social media on 8 April 2024, Harvey clarified that Paul’s suspension was not solely due to his comments on Gaza, noting that such sentiments are echoed both within and outside the Catholic Church.

Instead, he stated, the suspension was for "his continuing lack of respect for the church of which he is a priest" and his failure to "correct his errors." Harvey added: "Father Paul has expressed his views in ways that seem to mock authority." He stressed that the suspension does not constitute a dismissal from the priesthood.

Despite this, Paul remains suspended. He secured his place in the upcoming finals with songs like "Oh Gaza," a poignant commentary on the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, has resulted in over 73,000 deaths. Paul’s lyrics describe deaths "while Zion drums beat and missiles pound."

He sings: "This is a time to make a voice for them. Cannot just pretend everything is fine, Gaza on me mind… When the Church would not take a stance, I go preach, I go preach."