CHURCH UNITY WEEK- SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 1992

CHURCH UNITY WEEK- SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 1992.

PREACHED AT RAVENSDALE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO THANK FR. BOBBY MCKENNA FOR HIS WORDS OF WELCOME AND TO EXTEND GREETINGS TO THE LOCAL CONGREGATION ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF BALLYMASCANLAN AND BUSH.

WHEN I WAS LIVING ON THE SHANKILL ROAD, I RECEIVED A PICTURE OF THE POPE, WHICH WAS SENT TO ME BY MY SISTER IN AUSTRALIA. There’s only one thing to do with a picture of the Pope on the Shankill Road and that is - to put it on your mantle piece, beside a postcard of Her Majesty the Queen. That is usually enough to confuse most people.

HOWEVER, ONE OF MY PARISHIONERS WHO CAME TO VISIT DID NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT THIS PICTURE WAS ON DISPLAY, SO I TOLD HIM THAT IF HE LOOKED CAREFULLY AT THE PHOTOGRAPH, HE WOULD SEE THAT THE POPE WAS IN FACT AT ARMS LENGTH, AND WASN’T THAT THE RIGHT PLACE TO KEEP HIM?

In a sense of course that is exactly what is wrong in Northern Ireland, that we have kept each other at arms length for too long. We need to find ways of overcoming our fears and of learning more about each other.

IT IS A GOOD THING THAT WE HAVE MOVED SOME DISTANCE FROM THE CONTROVERSIES OF THE PAST. THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE UNHEALTHY DENOMINATIONALISM WHICH EXPLOITED OUR DIFFERENCES AND EMBITTERED RELATIONSHIPS IS BREAKING DOWN.

WE CAN THANK GOD FOR THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE BETWEEN THE CHURCHES AT AN OFFICIAL LEVEL AND ALSO AT LOCAL LEVEL, HERE IN THIS DISTRICT, WHERE I MUST PAY TRIBUTE TO THE WARMTH AND GENEROSITY OF OUR CATHOLIC NEIGHBOURS.

THE BALLYMASCANLAN TALKS AND THE JOINT ANGLICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION HAVE DONE MUCH USEFUL GROUNDWORK IN DEVELOPING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER, DESPITE THE RECENTLY PUBLCISED COOL RECEPTION FROM ROME IN THE OFFICIAL ROMAN CATHOLIC RESPONSE.

TODAY WE ARE MORE AWARE OF THE UNITY WHICH IS OURS IN CHRIST AND IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE GOSPEL. YET THERE IS A DANGER THAT CHRISTIAN UNITY IS SOMETHING WE PAY LIP SERVICE TO - PROVIDING IT DOESN’T COST US ANYTHING, AND WE CAN THEN FORGET ABOUT IT UNTIL THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.

IF WE ARE TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY THEN WE MUST EXAMINE OUR OWN ATTITUDES. SOMETIMES HOSTILITY IS BASED ON FEAR AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS. IF WE ARE CONFIDENT ABOUT WHAT WE BELIEVE THEN WE HAVE NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF IN DIALOGUE AND ACTIVE CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS, BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT. SOMETIMES WE ARE SO TIED TO THE PAST THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO GRASP THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE PRESENT.

WE MUST CONTINUE TO WORK OUT PRACTICAL MEANS OF CO-OPERATION IN OUR OWN LOCALITY, WHICH WILL BUILD AN ATMOSPHERE OF TRUST, AND HELP US TO APPRECIATE AND VALUE BOTH CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES. IT MAY BE RELATIVELY EASY HERE IN CO. LOUTH, BUT HOW DO WE ACHIEVE IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DIVIDED SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD WHICH IS ALSO PART OF MY PARISH?

WHILE WE CAN USEFULLY CONCENTRATE ON THE 95% OF THE FAITH THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON, AS PART OF THE ECUMENICAL PROCESS, THERE COMES A TIME WHEN DIFFERENCES TOO HAVE TO BE FACED. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE SEEN A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN THE AREA OF MIXED MARRIAGES IN RECENT YEARS. YET TWO KEY RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AS LONG AGO AS 1975 HAVE STILL NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED. THEY ARE

(1) THAT THE WEDDING OF A ROMAN CATHOLIC AND AN ANGLICAN CHRISTIAN MIGHT VALIDLY AND LAWFULLY TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE DULY AUTHORISED MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF EITHER PARTY.

AND (2) THAT THE PROMISE REQUIRED BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOULD BE MET IN A DIFFERENT WAY. (THE PRIEST WOULD GIVE A WRITTEN ASSURANCE TO HIS BISHOP THAT HE HAD REMINDED THE CATHOLIC PARTNER OF HIS OBLIGATIONS REGARDING THE BAPTISM AND UPBRINGING OF THE CHILDREN, AND HAD SATISFIED HIMSELF THAT THE OTHER PARTNER KNEW WHAT THESE OBLIGATIONS WERE.)

THE FACT THAT IN JULY 1991 THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS EXTENDED THE EXISTING PROMISE TO COVER ALL CATHOLIC MARRIAGES, IN MY VIEW SIMPLY FAILS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

WHEN I WAS ORDAINED AS A PRIEST IN 1974 ONE OF MY GUESTS AT MY ORDINATION WAS REV. JOSEPH CAMPBELL C.C. OF ST. MARY’S GREENCASTLE, WHOSE NAME APPEARS INSIDE EVERY COPY OF THE PARISH MISSAL. THAT MAY SEEM A VERY SMALL THING TODAY, BUT THEN IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT SUCH A THING HAD HAPPENED IN THE DIOCESE OF DOWN.

THE INVITATION WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE ON LEAVING SCHOOL I BECAME INVOLVED IN AN OPEN BADEN POWELL SCOUT GROUP TO WHICH CATHOLIC PARENTS CHOSE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN, WHICH WAS QUITE AN ADVANCED THING TO DO IN BELFAST IN 1966. IT INVOLVED TAKING RISKS ON BOTH SIDES. CERTAINLY FOR ME AS AN EAST BELFAST PROTESTANT IT WAS A VERY NEW AND IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE IN MY OWN PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.

MY LAST PARISH WAS AT THE TOP OF BELFAST’S SHANKILL ROAD. IT WAS A JOINT ANGLICAN / METHODIST CONGREGATION, SO FOR ME FOR SIX YEARS EVERY SUNDAY WAS CHURCH UNITY SUNDAY. PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE WAS FOR TWO YEARS TO WORK ALONGSIDE THE LOCAL METHODIST LADY ASSISTANT MINISTER AND TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION FROM HER HANDS IN MY OWN PARISH CHURCH AT A TIME BEFORE THE CHURCH OF IRELAND HAD REACHED THE DECISION TO ORDAIN WOMEN TO THE PRIESTHOOD.

IN THAT SITUATION IT WAS POSSIBLE ALSO TO HAVE A NUN TO PREACH ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND AS A SIMPLE ECUMENICAL GESTURE WE BORROWED TWO CANDLEHOLDERS FROM CLONARD MONASTERY EACH YEAR OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. THEY WERE THEN BURNISHED IN JAMES MACKIES’ FOUNDRY AND RETURNED IN MINT CONDITION FOR THE NEXT YEAR. THE SHANKILL / FALLS CLERGY FELLOWSHIP MET REGULARLY BETWEEN THE CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY AND CLONARD. OUT OF THAT DIALOGUE WHICH HELPED TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING CAME SOME 16 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR INCREASING INTER-CHURCH CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO POLARISED COMMUNITIES

SINCE COMING HERE I HAVE THROWN MY LOT IN WITH THE SOUTH DOWN ECUMENICAL CLERGY STUDY GROUP MEETING IN NEWRY. IT MAY BE STATING THE OBVIOUS TO SAY THAT IF YOU WANT CO-OPERATION YOU HAVE GOT TO WORK FOR IT. TWO THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN:

(1) THE CLERGY NEED TO MEET.

(2) AT SOME STAGE THE LAITY NEED TO BE INVOLVED. PERHAPS SUCH ENCOUNTER MIGHT TAKE THE FORM OF A BIBLE STUDY OR PRAYER GROUP?

OR COULD I SUGGEST THREE DOCUMENTS WHICH WOULD REPAY CAREFUL STUDY: * BREAKING DOWN THE ENMITY. (FAITH AND POLITICS IN N. IRELAND) 1984. * FOR GOD AND HIS GLORY ALONE. 1988. * THE CHURCHES AND INTER- COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. 1991. (PUBLISHED BY THE CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF CONFLICT, THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER.)

WHILE FORMAL GROUPS OF THIS SORT ARE IMPORTANT, WE MUST NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF ORDINARY HUMAN CONTACT, EXPRESSED IN FACE TO FACE CONVERSATION. THAT AT LEAST IS A START.