School protests un-Christian, says Archbishop

The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Walton Empey, has questioned whether "a Christian of whatever hue" could take part in the school protest at Ardoyne.

Speaking at the Diocesan Synods of Dublin and Glendalough, he asked "would Christ hurl abuse and spit upon children? Would Christ hurl bottles and stones at them? Would Christ place a pipe bomb that could have killed and maimed those little ones?"

"If they know anything at all about the Bible they would know that Jesus is saying some chilling words to His followers regarding harm done to His little ones - 'but whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin (or to stumble) it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea'," the Archbishop quoted.

But he felt "it was also highly irresponsible for the parents concerned to subject their children to such foul abuse."

Speaking about the loyalist people of Ardoyne he said "they obviously have many problems and fears and have suffered much at the hands of the IRA and their corrupt followers.

"They, too, cannot walk in safety through streets in the area without being subjected to verbal and physical abuse. They are fearful for their future and that is not helped by the political vacuum of the present time.

None of us would like to be in their precarious position.

"Nevertheless, there must be other ways of highlighting their problems rather than by abusing children."

He quoted from the "Two Tribes" article which appeared in the Weekend supplement of this newspaper on July 7th last and said "if you doubt the identification of religion with politics (on this island) just drive for a few miles in Northern Ireland and you will get the message."

But he felt "we must acknowledge, however, that there has been a huge change in attitudes in the Republic in more recent times.

"Another Fethard-on-Sea would be unthinkable, as would the Taoiseach and his cabinet standing outside St Patrick's Cathedral for the funeral of a Church of Ireland President, as was the case at Douglas Hyde's funeral.

"The Ne Temere decree has gone but its effects are still with us and the matter of inter-church marriage, although improved, still leaves a lot to be desired.

"There is widespread co-operation at the local level between clergy and parishes, which continues to endure despite the hard-hitting documents One Bread, One Body and Dominus Iesus. As so often happens ordinary people have a knack of being ahead of their ecclesiastical authorities!"

He criticised the "lack of nerve" on the part of Irish churches in giving moral leadership.

"The Church of Ireland has for so long kept its head beneath the parapet that it is only in the last few years of the last century it has begun to speak out with a degree of confidence, and that spasmodically," he said.