Cardinal principles

Archbishop Seán Brady, who is to be elevated to cardinal today, talks to Religious Affairs Correspondent Patsy McGarry, about the peace process, the education system and the future of the church in Ireland

Grey clouds still hang darkly. Rain falls and a strong wind blows. But there is no mistaking those signs over the lake - the storm is easing. The scene is from a painting which hangs in the hallway of Ara Coeli in Armagh, residence and office of the Catholic primate Archbishop Seán Brady, who will be elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict in Rome today. Titled Storm Abating, Lough Sheelin, the painting is an accurate reflection of where the Catholic Church is in Ireland today, as the dark turbulence of recent years gives way to signs of a returning calm.

Doves have been sent out. One is flying back with what look like olive leaves in its beak. But it is still too early to say. Archbishop Brady will not jump to hasty conclusions. He hopes the worst is over.

"People are sensing a new confidence," he says. "Maybe there is a positive awareness of the contribution religion can make to society." A realisation that "the secular project on its own does not work when cut off from the Creator", he tells The Irish Times at Ara Coeli. Maybe there is a growing realisation too, he says, quoting Fr Peter McVerry, "that God's passion is compassion". But still he articulates in the conditional mood.

About the abuse scandals, he has said that as a church leader he can never apologise adequately to victims of clerical child sex abuse and repeated his promise to do "all in my power to make the Church a life-giving, joyful and safe place for children". It was his deepest desire and key priority.

They applauded him in Cork last month when he said those words at a Mass for people, living and deceased, who had been in Ireland's industrial schools. The Mass was organised by Right of Place, a support group for former residents of industrial schools, many of whom were in the congregation.

"When I think of what some children have gone through, what some of you have gone through, I feel compelled to continue, to the best of my human ability, to understand why these things happened and to work with others to put them right," he told the congregation.

And they believed him, because he is that kind of man.

ARA COELI IS a pleasant, comfortable, bright place. Quite unlike so many other bishops' residences - or palaces, as some are still called - across this island which, shrouded in late Victorian gloom, retain the stagnant-in-aspic character of dusty monuments to a church past. Triumphant at last, following centuries of dungeon, fire and sword. More like museums and mausoleums than homes intended for human comfort.

You might say Ara Coeli reflects the personality of its premier resident, though he would never claim such rank - this quiet, humble man.

"Archbishop Brady is a quiet person. He is a man who listens and is attentive to building up consensus and co-operation. He has done that in a remarkable way in the peace process in Northern Ireland. He has done it in the Irish church. We are blessed to have him and may the Lord give him long years," said the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin.

He was speaking at the community school in Tallaght, Dublin, on November 15th, where he had been joined by Archbishop Brady to launch a DVD encouraging moderate drinking - part of the Irish Catholic Bishops' drug and alcohol initiative.

It was an unusually effusive comment by Archbishop Martin on a brother bishop, even allowing for the context.

Archbishop Brady, on the other hand, plays down his role in the Northern peace process, as he does in everything. This is neither pose nor for effect. It is simply an accurate reflection of his own modest opinion of himself, whatever others might think."My role deserves to be downplayed. I was just in this position," he says.

But he does acknowledge attending the ceremony at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down in November 1999 at which Queen Elizabeth presented the George Cross to the then RUC in recognition of members' "collective courage and dedication to duty". Not an easy thing for a Catholic primate to do, even in 1999.

Apparently, much more happened privately and, last year, he publicly and strongly encouraged Sinn Féin to join the policing board - which it has done. In October 2006 he met a DUP delegation, led by Rev Ian Paisley, for a surprisingly cordial meeting at which a remarkable degree of common ground was established on issues such as education, abortion, social justice and economic development.

More recently, he met representatives of the Independent Orange Order, the Orange Order, and the Royal Black Preceptory, who have expressed gratitude to him following his statement deploring the burning of Orange halls.

"I have been very impressed with the dignity and sincerity of the members of the Loyal Orders I have met over the years. I think that as Catholics we have to be more open to the important religious aspects of the Loyal Orders, and members of these orders have to help others to continue to understand their traditions and what they mean to them," he told the Belfast Telegraph recently.

IN THE SAME interview, he said he regretted any hurt caused to Protestants by the Vatican document Dominus Iesus, published in 2000 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of which Pope Benedict was then prefect. It asserted that reformed churches were not sister churches of the Catholic Church or churches "in the proper sense", and that truth "subsists" only in the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Brady told the Belfast Telegraph, "it is vital that we each continue to be true to what we believe about ourselves, and I think it is a mark of the maturity of the ecumenical journey that we can speak to each other frankly about those things which still divide us." But, he continued, "we are clear that other Christians who share our belief in baptism are our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ."

He added, "When I stand in my own cathedral and recite the Apostles' Creed, which I have done in the Church of Ireland cathedral in Armagh and in a Presbyterian church in Belfast, I am conscious of what we all have in common already, and I think that that is more than enough to be going on with."

He also said that if Pope Benedict should visit Northern Ireland, of which he remained hopeful, "neither he nor I would expect anyone to be involved, if they did not want to be."

He was responding to a query as to the likely absence of Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley from events surrounding such an event. Archbishop Brady emphasised such a papal visit would be "pastoral". He said, "it is an important principle of the Catholic faith that we respect the religious conscience of others, so if that means that Dr Paisley or any other public representative felt that they could not be involved in welcoming the visit then I - and I know the Holy Father - would fully understand and respect that."

He would "take no offence if some people, because of their sincerely held convictions, felt that they could have no part in welcoming the Pope. I also hope that people would respect the right of Catholics to enjoy and to celebrate such a visit of their spiritual lead and a world figure."

As to the queen visiting the Republic, he would "welcome such a visit. I have good memories of meeting Her Majesty when she came to re-confer the status of a city on Armagh. I think that such a visit [to the Republic] would help to symbolise the historical and geographical relationship that exists between these two islands. It is a unique relationship and my hope is that perhaps for the first time in our history we will maximise the potential there is for a strong and mutual partnership for the future."

IN GENERAL, HE feels, it was "a time for the healing of memory" when it comes to relations on this island and between these islands, he tells The Irish Times. He thinks there is a need for "a greater maturing". In that context, and it being November, he feels people should feel free to wear the poppy in memory of the 210,000 Irishmen who fought in the first World War and in particular of the 35,000 to 49,000 who were killed in that war, the great majority of them Catholic.

More education is needed on the subject, "in order to form an enlightened attitude". He does not wear the poppy because he does not wear any such symbols, including the Easter lily, which is not to disparage any of them, he insists. The young men who died in the first World War "made sacrifices. A process of reflection and maturing is called for [ where they are concerned]", he says.

'The use of memory has a critical role in the healing of conflict," he says, while warning that "how memory is celebrated determines whether the power is directed positively or negatively." He feels this would be particularly important as we came to celebrate the centenary of the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme in 2016, "both determining events in the memory of the people of Ireland". He recalls how it had been impressed on him at meetings with people in Northern Ireland that commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising in 1966 had played a significant role in the subsequent rise of militant republicanism.

"I am asking that we be sensitive and sensible about how we conduct these commemorations. It will hardly do for us to totally avoid telling our stories . . . [ but] we all have a responsibility to try and repair the disasters of the past," he says.

He has been "pleasantly surprised" at political progress in Northern Ireland. "It is important to celebrate how different things are now, compared to the darkest days of the Troubles. The last 12 months have seen rapid, almost unthinkable progress. With a commitment on everyone's part, just think what progress the next few years could bring," he says.

He emphasises, however, that peace is more than the absence of war and lauds an ongoing process of normalisation to allow for economic development, which is basic regardless of who is in power.

In that context he emphasises the importance of all paramilitaries decommissioning and, referring to the murderers of Paul Quinn in Cullyhanna last month, he says it is "frightening to think there are people like that in an organised society. It brings you out in a cold sweat. They also need to buy into society and everyone must pay their taxes. On fuel as well."

For details of today's consistory, see www.catholiccommunications.ie