C of I life in South `not always easy', says archdeacon

The Church of Ireland Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven Gordon Linney, has said that life for members of the church in the South "has not always been easy". In an essay in Search magazine he referred to an entry from the diary of Archbishop John Gregg of Dublin in 1922. It read "A week of v. great anxiety as to the church's future. News of evictions, ejections and intimidations everywhere. Where is it all to lead to?"

There was an inevitability about those difficulties in the early years of the State, Archdeacon Linney said, but "the Roman Catholic Church had a firm grip on many areas of life which was strictly maintained, usually with the support of politicians . . ."

The film A Love Divided, about the Fethard-on-Sea incident, was a reminder that this situation persisted "a mere 12 years before the outbreak of trouble in the North". It revealed "the depth of bigotry that lay just beneath the surface of life in Ireland on both sides. It also showed that Church of Ireland people either chose or were expected to keep their heads down".

He was mentioning this, he said, "because some Church of Ireland people are inclined to give the impression that the South has had an almost `promised land' status as far as treating minorities is concerned and some of the comments emanating from the South and directed at the North have a hint of superiority about them".

The truth was "that it has not been easy making the progress we have made so far in the Republic and there is still a long way to go. That despite the fact that we have had an unbroken peace, which Northern Ireland has been denied, and also that the minority here is so small that it has never posed a threat to anyone."

Meanwhile, some church members in the South "go overboard to prove their Irishness and disown their past. It is important that we are accepted as we are because the only hope for real peace is a genuine inclusivity which is able to accommodate and cherish the rich diversity that in reality Ireland is."

He believed it was important to acknowledge "the enormous efforts that have made the Republic a more open and tolerant society", but he warned against the "growing and articulate anti-Catholic mindset in this country". It should not be forgetten "that the Roman Catholic Church has been, and is, a good influence in many areas and it is important we should say so."

Looking northwards, Archdeacon Linney said there were questions to be asked of the Church of Ireland concerning the years when the conflict there was in gestation. "There was clearly discrimination against Roman Catholics. Sectarianism and bigotry were endemic, especially among the poorer sections of society. The Orange Order, with its 18th century mindset, was welcomed in many of our churches and had among its members many senior clergy and bishops," he said.

"So why did the church remain largely silent and allow such things to fester unchallenged over so many years?" he asked. Was the church "seduced by self-interest, seeking the approval of those in power? We forgot that Christians have a duty to stand for justice on behalf of everyone in society and not just their own friends."