Church of Ireland Synod hears call for action on Drumcree crisis

A speaker at the Church of Ireland General Synod said yesterday that, as far as Drumcree was concerned, "the time for words is over. They have not succeeded. It is time for action." The integrity of the church was at stake, he said.

Archdeacon Gregor McCamley, of Down diocese, said he did not believe an honest answer of Yes could be given to those who asked whether the Church of Ireland had done everything it could on the issue.

It may have done everything within its legal and constitutional structures, he said, but it was within the church's power to change those, allowing a bishop greater authority, and that should acted upon.

He felt the synod had used resolutions to salve its conscience on the issue. "Resolutions are only words, not action," he said.

Mr John Richardson, of Connor diocese, said "the Egyptians had the boils and locusts; we in the Church of Ireland have Drumcree."

He paid tribute to the Archbishop of Armagh and others on the church's standing committee "who have been tireless in their efforts to resolve this long-running saga".

Canon Cecil Hyland, of Dublin diocese, said that while the press might have been unfair to the church at Drumcree, it was telling it something of outside perceptions.

Two sentences about Drumcree in the General Synod Report might give the impression it was no longer important to the church. An impression that the church had become morally moribund by the issue was conveyed by talk that all that could be done had been done, he said.

Throughout Ireland, at almost every church gathering, Drumcree came up. He referred to the 1999 Sectarianism Report, which said the church was being seriously damaged by the issue. "It continues to be seriously damaged," he said, and he suggested that the sectarianism document should be published.

Mr David Bleakley warned that in the North "we are walking on very thin ice". There could be "civic meltdown" over the next few weeks, he said. The church had received unfair and very bad press over Drumcree and he hoped it would be possible for both sides to do something positive as Christians.

Mr Hilary Morrison, of Connor diocese, remembered when people, children in particular, looked forward to the Twelfth celebrations. Now it meant a shadow over the land. The Orange Order did not seem to want very much, he said, and he was struck by the Archbishop of Dublin's remark that it seemed people on the Garvaghy Road wanted to be hurt.

Canon Bill Neely, Armagh diocese, said action by the synod on the issue would only make matters worse. Already it was difficult enough for "a wise man like the Archbishop" to deal with.