A report to the Church of Ireland General Synod last year stated it has become a matter of deep shame that an act of worship should be followed by displays of hostility, hatred and lawlessness. It was referring to events at Drumcree. The feelings expressed then have, if anything, been deepened within the C of I by events at Drumcree and beyond earlier this month.

The report, by the church's sub-committee on sectarianism, stated that it would be disingenuous to pretend that the events, the emotion, and indignation engendered by successive confrontations at Drumcree and along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, reported so widely in the media, did not set a context and provide motivation for the setting up of this sub-committee. The brief of the sub-committee was to undertake an examination of church life at all levels, to identify ways in which the church may have been deemed to be accommodating to sectarianism . . . and as a means of combating sectarianism, promoting at all levels of church life tolerance, dialogue co-operation and mutual respect between the churches. Not to do so is to promote sectarianism.

And the report acknowledges that there is little doubt that in the eyes of many the "Drumcree crisis" is a microcosm of the sectarian agonies of Northern Ireland and it is especially distressing that a parish of the C of I and its church building should appear at the very heart of that agony.

The report in its entirety is set into context with the section Theological Reflections on Sectarianism. Here, the theological and biblical imperative is expressed; first of all, that God is love, and secondly, that this love is revealed most profoundly in Jesus Christ. These two tenets would appear to be radically at variance with any manifestation of sectarianism - where God is open, sectarianism rejects.

The point is made that while it is important to recognise that the C of I shares associations with the Orange Order spanning a period of more than 200 years, and that although many members of the order are also members of the C of I, the church has moved from some of the positions which, in the past, the two may have shared.

It is therefore fair to say that in certain respects the C of I and the Orange Order have parted company and that the church has failed to draw this parting of the ways to the attention of the Orange Order.

The sub-committee took great pains to examine and to attempt to describe the relationship between the C of I and the Orange Order. It also sought to pull together an objective analysis of what the order claims to stand for and whether these claims fit in with the position of the C of I at the beginning of the 21st century.

In considering that relationship, the subcommittee defined its task as not to evaluate the various loyal orders in their own right, but rather to identify ways in which the C of I may be deemed to be accommodating to sectarianism in those organisations, if and where sectarianism exists and whether the sectarian practices of those organisations impinge on the life of the church.

The report states that by facilitating the attendance of the Orange lodges of the Portadown District at the church service, the C of I is perceived by many to be accommodating, to a degree, of the violence which occurred subsequently: it is argued that if the parade from the church service had not taken place, then there might not have been the circumstances for civil disorder.

It also states that there are no formal links between the C of I and the Orange Order. There are, however, many informal links which have been established since 1795, and today there are three main points of informal contact. These are that some members of the church, clerical as well as lay, are members of the order; some C of I services are attended by members of the order; and some Orange halls were used by the C of I for church purposes.

Recognising that the C of I may be deemed to be accommodating to sectarianism by association with certain aspects of the order's teaching and practice, the subcommittee identified clear differences between the church and the Orange Order. First of all, the report recognised that the Orange Order is a religious society with many high ideals, but that in its requirements for membership it adopts an anti-Roman Catholic stance. The report acknowledges that these views have now been superseded by a spirit of mutual respect and the acceptance of denominational integrity.

In addition, in a section titled Drumcree, the sub-committee said the C of I could be seen as accommodating to sectarianism by association with certain aspects of Orange Order conduct at Drumcree. The church responds to this suggestion by identifying clear differences between itself and the order at Drumcree.

Because of the presence of the Orange Order at the parish church in Drumcree it is often thought that the C of I supports the range of issues surrounding the annual Orange Order parade to the church on the Sunday before July 12th. The reality is quite different.

The report goes on to state that it is a matter of deep regret that the C of I should have been in any way identified with the civil disturbances and confessed that, under the circumstances, regret was insufficient and must be combined with remedial action.

The commitment of the C of I is to promote tolerance, co-operation and mutual respect between the churches and society. Not to do so is to promote sectarianism. It has become a matter of deep shame that an act of worship should be followed by displays of hostility, hatred and lawlessness. It also stated that for all its international notoriety the situation at Drumcree is infinitely complex.

With regard to inter-church relations, it is often thought that the C of I identifies with the Orange Order's outlook on relations between the churches today. Again, the reality is quite different. The C of I is fully engaged in inter-church relations with the Roman Catholic Church, both in Ireland and worldwide. The church's official record demonstrates that for many decades it has been at the forefront of ecumenical endeavour.

As to the Orange Order's claim to be composed of Protestants, united and resolved to the utmost of their power to support and defend their religion, the report pointed out that there was as yet no single body of doctrine uniting all those churches and groups calling themselves Protestant.

The C of I, it noted, is strongly supportive of efforts to promote the visible unity of the church. It also gives itself the responsibility of defining, defending and interpreting - in the light of Holy Scripture - the faith it has received.

On the place of Holy Scripture, the report states that much of scripture, as represented by the various loyal orders, including the Orange Order, is of the Old Testament, with an emphasis on such things as battle, righteousness, the defeat of evil, and obedience to the law.

While affirming the centrality of Holy Scripture in all of life it submitted that, in the loyal orders, insufficient emphasis is ostensibly given to the New Testament, in particular to those teachings of Jesus Christ who manifested in his earthly ministry - and in his redeeming work on the cross - God's love for all people, and who called us to the love of God and our neighbour, to love our enemies, and who gave us the golden rule, to treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated.

Recognising the changes in the Church of Ireland, the report emphasised that since the 16th century the church, like most Christian churches, has changed. It had gained new insights. It recognised that in the church's history on this island we, as the established church, had been party to conquest, oppression and discrimination against our fellow Irish people - members of other churches. It also acknowledged that its history and that of the Orange Order were intertwined.

While differences between the churches had often been handled in a confrontational manner up to the mid-20th century today, in the C of I, differences with our fellow Christian churches are handled through dialogue recognising that the common faith that we share is more than our differences.

The report goes on to say that changes were further evidenced in the inter-church activities of the C of I, and many of those in the forefront of work for reform and justice in society have been members of the church. In the 20th century much encouraging change took place in breaking down the centuries-old barriers between the churches, it added.

The church's commitment to, and involvement in, the ecumenical movement went back to the Edinburgh International Missionary Conference of 1910. In 1968 the C of I was instrumental in setting up the Ballymascanlon Conference, while in the 1970s it initiated the custom of inviting observers from other churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, to its General Synod every year. With regard to attitudes to the law, the report pointed out that while the Orange Order did not recognise the lawful determination of the Parades Commission, the C of I supported the lawful exercise of civil power and has taught respect for the law. It noted also that many members of the security forces - army and police - have been, and are, members of the church.

Therefore, it was of great concern to the church to observe scenes of lawlessness and violence at Drumcree, and elsewhere. These deplorable acts of aggression create an atmosphere of heightened tension in which atrocities such as the murders of the Quinn children in Ballymoney and, as a result of the violence deriving from Drumcree, the death of a policeman, have taken place. As a further indication of the differences between the C of I and the Orange Order the report said the church respects the state and its authority. Historically, and by contrast, the Orange Order has had a conditional relationship with the state. It added that the order has accepted the authority of the state, insofar as the succession of the throne remains Protestant. The report goes on to say that the order also had a party political as well as a religious agenda. It states that the C of I has no party political allegiance and included and welcomed into its membership people of all political persuasions, and none.

Finally, the report, quoting from the Order's own Qualifications of an Orangeman noted that the order exhorts its members "to an humble and steadfast faith in Jesus Christ . . . and to cultivate truth, justice, brotherly kindness and charity". It also noted the order's explicit commitment to tolerance of difference, quoting that it "will not admit into the Brotherhood persons whom an intolerant spirit leads to persecute, injure or upbraid any man on account of his religious opinions".

The sub-committee was at pains not to be seen as demonising the loyal orders - to do so would be to act towards them in a sectarian fashion, it said. It commended an attitude of constructive engagement, encouraging the orders to move as the church has moved.

The section of the report dealing with the relationship between the church and the loyal orders concluded:

We believe that in order to show itself a truly Christian movement it is now time for the Orange Order to show that the love of God, love of neighbour and obedience to the New Testament principles take priority over mere party advancement

We believe that exclusivity is contrary to the teaching and example of Jesus Christ and that inclusivity, therefore, must be the hallmark of our Christian actions.

The sub-committee stated that it offered its comments in charity so as to inform not only the members of its own church (who may or may not be members of the Orange Order), but also the Order itself and the wider community which has a right to be reminded of such divergences.

All references are to the Report of the Sub-Committee on Sectarianism to the Standing Committee in the Church of Ireland General Synod reports, 1999.

The Rev Olive Donoghue was a member of the Church of Ireland Sub-Committee on Sectarianism. She is also rector of the Mountmellick group of parishes in Co Laois.